Well-matched fillies headline stocked card
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Keeneland’s nine-race card on Thursday offers appealing fare, with large and well-matched fields providing solid wagering opportunities. The card includes three allowance races and four maiden special weights, most with six-figure purses, and the average field size is 10.8 entrants.
Some fillies who have faced stakes competition get class relief in one of the co-featured allowances, as the eighth race is a $120,000, six-furlong contest for 3-year-old fillies who have never won two races.
Empirical Mischief’s past performances are littered with the names of high-end stakes fillies. After finishing fourth in her 4 1/2-furlong debut last year, Empirical Mischief set the pace to win her next outing at six furlongs. She then not only tried a mile in her third career start, but stepped up to stakes company for the Grade 3 Pocahontas, where she finished sixth behind La Cara, now a Grade 1 winner who is bound for the Kentucky Oaks.
Empirical Mischief cut back to six furlongs for the final outing of her 2-year-old season, an October allowance at Keeneland. After leading early, she finished third behind Eclatant, who would go on to win the Grade 3 Forward Gal earlier this year.
Empirical Mischief has been forwardly placed in her better efforts and is well-drawn to use her speed from post 3 under Adam Beschizza.
“She’s fast-minded, fast everything,” trainer John Ennis said. “She’s not gonna be a two-turn filly or anything like that.”
Indeed, while Ennis says Empirical Mischief is “breezing excellent” ahead of her 3-year-old debut, keeping her settled and allowing her to save her forward tendencies for race day is a balancing act.
“I haven’t popped her out of the gates or anything like that – don’t want to upset the apple cart or anything,” Ennis said. “We’ll probably saddle her on the walk, keep her moving. She’s more mature mentally, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
The morning-line favorite for this tilt is Mila Rose, a debut winner for Steve Asmussen. Going six furlongs on March 6 at Turfway, she rallied from 10th in the early going and cleared the field late. The ability to come from off the pace could serve her well in a field that appears to have some speed. However, she also may be sharper with a race under her belt. Drawn on the rail, Joe Ramos’s tactics could be key to this race.
Carlisle Bay, La Marinera, and Wisconsin Gal have all faced stakes company in the past. Carlisle Bay, third in the My Dear at Woodbine last year, is making her first start since October, first away from Woodbine and on dirt, and first start for new trainer Greg Foley.
Earlier in the day, in the sixth race, a number of other 3-year-old fillies, including some expensive buys, go seven furlongs in a $110,000 maiden special weight. Bundle, from the first crop of Grade 1-winning sprinter Volatile and out of Grade 1-winning router Love and Pride, was a $1.15 million Keeneland September yearling who has been seeking her best distance.
Bundle, trained by Asmussen, was seventh in her debut going six furlongs. In her next start, at 1 1/16 miles, she showed speed, was clear by three in the stretch, and was run down late to be second. She may find cutting back to seven furlongs to her liking.
At the same Keeneland September sale, Crimson Sun was a $700,000 purchase. The Curlin filly has made one start, finishing eighth in her debut last September after hopping at the start and trailing throughout. She adds blinkers Thursday.
“She was a little babyish last year,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said. “She’s much more mature now, and I expect a big race from her. She’s been working with blinkers and working really well.”
Mazayaat, a $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old purchase, was second in her debut last month at Gulfstream.
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