Verylittlecents can adjust as needed depending on Purple Martin pace
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Verylittlecents showed a new dimension in her last start that should serve her well Saturday in the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
The race is for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. The field of six includes Grade 2 winner Wicked Halo, Grade 3 winner Pretty Birdie, and stakes winner Misyneedsacocktail.
“It’s a tough race,” said Randy Morse, who trains Verylittlecents. “There’s some good fillies in there.”
Verylittlecents became a stakes winner last August, when she wired the field in the $125,000 Ellis Park Debutante. In her most recent start, Verylittlecents closed from last for second in the $150,000 Dixie Belle on Feb. 19 at Oaklawn.
“She ran a really good race the other day,” Morse said. “She showed she could come from off the pace, which I really liked.”
Pretty Birdie, who won last year’s Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga, broke on top in the Dixie Belle. She ran the opening quarter in 21.37 seconds and the half-mile in 44.81 before being overtaken by eventual winner Happy Soul, who is now a candidate for the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland.
Verylittlecents finished three lengths behind Happy Soul, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 74 she earned is the best last-race number in the Purple Martin. Verylittlecents will break from post 5 on Saturday, under Jon Court.
“I don’t know if they’ll be going as quick on the front end as last time,” Morse said. “That was a hot pace. My concern this time is if Pretty Birdie gets loose, she’ll be tough to outrun. But she is inside of us. I like that we’re on the outside. It gives us more options.”
Verylittlecents has finished third in two other stakes in her career and in both races – the Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs and the Myrtlewood at Keeneland – she was part of the pace.
“She’s pretty quick,” Morse said.
Verylittlecents is a daughter of Goldencents. She races for Randy Patterson.
“She’s a gritty little thing,” Morse said. “She’s tough. She’s not all that big, but she thinks she is.”
Wicked Halo finished fourth in the Dixie Belle, her first start since winning the Grade 2 Adirondack last August at Saratoga. Ramon Vazquez has the mount from the rail for Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen.
Pretty Birdie drew post 2. David Cabrera will be aboard for trainer Norm Casse.
Misyneedsacocktail is a new source of speed in the Purple Martin. She has won both of her starts wire to wire, including the Shakopee Juvenile over colts in her most recent start Sept. 16 at Canterbury Park.
Misyneedsacocktail will break from post 6 under Elvin Gonzalez. Mac Robertson trains the daughter of Bernardini and Superior Storm, who was a multiple stakes winner of more than $1 million.
The field also includes Hypersport, who was third in the Dixie Belle, and Como Square, a half-sister to stakes winner Caddo River. Como Square is cutting back to one turn, where she is unbeaten, after running third to Secret Oath in the $200,000 Martha Washington on Jan. 29 at Oaklawn.