Wednesday turf sprint has four stakes winners
Wednesday’s eighth race could easily pass for a stakes race, and indeed, four of the six fillies and mares entered in the $85,000 optional claimer are stakes winners. The term “optional claimer” is a misnomer since all fit the three-other-than allowance condition or the stipulation that allows non-winners of a stakes race this year to enter the six-furlong turf sprint.
Sensible Lady is the most accomplished entrant, having won six stakes, including the Coronation Cup at Saratoga in 2012 and two editions of The Very One at Pimlico in 2012-13.
After winning the Buckland at Colonial Downs early last summer, Sensible Lady was purchased by Richard Santulli and given over to Alan Goldberg, and she concluded the season with a third in the Turf Amazon.
Sensible Lady makes her third start of the season after breaking from post 12 and being beaten just more than two lengths while trying to win The Very One yet again and rallying belatedly against males in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup.
“The first time back, she had a bad post,” Goldberg said. “Last time, she was saving ground but wound up in the middle of the racetrack.”
Sensible Lady attempts to win past 5 1/2 furlongs for the first time.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Sensible Lady. 2014 debut on the Preakness undercard came back live, with three next-out winners plus another that earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90 while running second.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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“The way the turf is up there now, it can carry horses,” Goldberg said, referring to a recent stretch of warm, dry weather that helped produce a near record for six furlongs by Spring to the Sky on Sunday. “She’s doing very well.”
To My Valentine, who broke on top from post 13 in The Very One last time out, moves to the rail and could shake out as the one to catch. The import was Group 3-placed in her native France as a 2-year-old, and two stateside victories for Wesley Ward last year included a front-running score in the Ladies Sprint at Kentucky Downs.
Coarsegold, a stakes winner at Gulfstream Park in each of the past two years for Mark Hennig, makes her first start since compromised by a slow pace in the May 11 License Fee against Free as a Bird, who came back to take the Intercontinental as well.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Coarsgeold. April victory at Gulfstream Park in the Safari Queen came back weak, with none of the five next-out runners finishing in the money.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Miss d’Oro, the winner of the Wonders Delight at 3 and the runner-up in the Grade 2 Distaff at 4, makes her third start as a 5-year-old and tries grass for Jason Servis, who excels with turf sprinters.
Cat Lore, the lone six-furlong turf winner, has been sidelined more than 11 months and goes for the first time for Christophe Clement.
Corporate Culture shortens up after two seven-furlong allowance wins for Chad Brown.