Wicked Halo tunes up for Ballerina in Twin Bridges Stakes
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Millionaire Wicked Halo has been a force, winning six career stakes and finishing worse than third only once while knocking heads against the best of her division. She is a standout in the $125,000 Twin Bridges Stakes for female sprinters on Sunday at Ellis Park.
Wicked Halo, a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred trained by Steve Asmussen, won four straight stakes last year, including the Grade 2 Prioress at Saratoga and Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland. She finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by divisional champion Goodnight Olive, with stablemate Echo Zulu, a 2021 Eclipse champion, a length ahead of her in second.
Wicked Halo opened this season by winning the Matron at Oaklawn Park by three-quarters of a length over Matareya, then was beaten a length by that foe in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff, with Goodnight Olive a troubled third. Most recently, Wicked Halo was second by a neck to Goodnight Olive in the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses at Belmont Park. The filly has improved her Beyer Speed Figure in each start this year, with a career-high 97 last out.
The Twin Bridges is Wicked Halo’s prep for the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina on Aug. 26 at Saratoga, a race that also could include Echo Zulu, Goodnight Olive, and Matareya. Echo Zulu is ticketed to have her prep in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss on Wednesday at Saratoga. Keeping the two apart meant travel for Wicked Halo, who is currently based in Saratoga.
“Echo Zulu and Wicked Halo were both looking for some type of prep race in this time frame,” said David Fiske, racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds. “With Echo Zulu going to the Honorable Miss, there wasn’t really all that much else that suited Wicked Halo other than the race at Ellis this weekend, which was not ideal – she had to ship back from Saratoga. But she needs a prep race.”
Wicked Halo, who typically sits just off horses, is drawn in the outside post under Cristian Torres in a field of seven that seems to lack committed speed, with the potential exception of Non Violence. That filly, making her stakes debut, is coming off an allowance win on the lead under Reylu Gutierrez, who has ridden her in every start for Bret Calhoun. Gutierrez is an assertive rider and could take advantage of the lack of pace, with Wicked Halo adjusting to the circumstances.
“She’s shown that she can be forwardly placed or she can sit off horses,” Fiske said. “Her running style’s pretty versatile. I think she’s dangerous wherever you put her.”
Last Leaf, the second choice on the morning line, won last year’s Audubon Oaks at Ellis. In two starts this year since moving to Eddie Kenneally’s barn, she was a close second to the accomplished Frank’s Rockette in the Roxelana, then was third behind Echo Zulu in the Grade 3 Winning Colors.
Speedometer, also trained by Asmussen for Winchell, won the off-the-turf Pea Patch last year at Ellis. Fiske said whether the filly runs will “probably be a game-time decision.”
Dealing Justice and Tap Dance Fever, coming off respective stakes placings at Lone Star and Prairie Meadows, and Gunning complete the field.
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