Whos the Lady faces two challenges in Winter Melody

Since starting out a year ago, Whos the Lady has won five of eight starts and two stakes. On Thursday at Delaware Park, she will face older fillies and mares for the first time while trying to prove she can negotiate two turns in the $50,000 Winter Melody.

A 3-year-old daughter of Munnings who races for her breeder, the Darsan Inc. of Daryl and Sandra Clark, Whos the Lady has won two sprint stakes at Gulfstream Park, the Azalea in July and the Any Limit in March.

Trainer Kathleen O’Connell stretched her out in distance in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks in August, but things didn’t go according to plan. Whos the Lady didn’t show her usual speed from the outside post, was fanned wide on the first turn, and finished last of nine.

Whos the Lady has since worked four times at Monmouth, including a five-furlong bullet Sept. 27.

“I’m going to throw the Monmouth race out,” O’Connell said. “In the morning, it seems like she can run all day.”

If Whos the Lady succeeds in the 1 1/16-mile Winter Melody, it will give O’Connell more options with her this winter in Florida.

“She’s exceeded all expectations,” O’Connell said. “If she’s going to have a future, it’s probably going to be going longer, or the owner may just breed her.”

O’Connell had a successful Monmouth meet, winning 13 races and finishing in a tie for sixth in the standings. For the year, she has 67 victories. She is currently racing horses at Delaware Park, the Meadowlands, and at Gulfstream Park.

O’Connell’s transition back to Florida has been delayed because she lost power for six days following Hurricane Irma.

“I’m still on my every-other-week schedule between Florida and Monmouth,” she said. “This is the fifth hurricane I’ve been through. By the end of October, I’ll have all of the horses at Tampa Bay or in south Florida.”

Although Paco Lopez was named on Whos the Lady, he will not be able to ride. Frankie Pennington has the mount.

Enterprising Lady will be stretching back out around two turns for trainer Jamie Ness after shortening up to seven furlongs for the Twixt Stakes at Laurel Park. Enterprising Lady, a three-time winner this year, has good stalking speed. Jevian Toledo will ride.

Jomar Torres, who is third in the Delaware rider standings, will be abard Cayman Croc for trainer Kelly Breen.

Torres was thrown in the first race Saturday after his mount clipped heels when a horse came outward in front of him at the start. Torres came back to win three stakes, the $100,000 Tax Free Shopping, the $75,000 Small Wonder, and the $75,000 Governors Day.

Torres took off his Sunday mounts with an injured calf but was feeling better Monday, according to his agent, Tom Stift.