Zig Zag looks to transfer form to Tapeta in Malvern Rose

Zig Zag not only improved her Beyer Speed Figure a full 50 points when she stretched out to a route for her season debut, but the 83 she earned for her maiden victory is by far the best two-turn figure among eight Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-old fillies Sunday in the $75,000 Malvern Rose Stakes at Presque Isle Downs.

The question for handicappers is whether Zig Zag can transfer that good form to Tapeta for the 1 1/16-mile feature, which goes as race 7 at 7:55 p.m. Eastern.

Zig Zag dominated 11 rivals in a maiden special weight route for statebreds July 6. Her sire, Iron Deputy, never has had any 3-year-old offspring race on an artificial surface, foals from her dam, Madame X Ski, are 0 for 3 on synthetics, and trainer Arnaud Delacour is 0 for 4 with horses moving from turf to synthetic surfaces.

The 8-5 morning-line favorite is Valued Strike, who cleared her first allowance condition while racing on Tapeta for the first time July 1. R Frosty One, the 2-1 second choice, won her two starts against Pennsylvania-breds by a combined 26 1/2 lengths but never has raced or worked on anything but dirt.

Key contenders

Zig Zag (Last 2 Beyers: 83-33)

* Her 8-1 program odds look juicy if she can run anywhere near as well on Tapeta as she did in her turf debut. Although Delacour is 0 for 4 with horses switching from turf to synthetic, two of those runners placed second, missing by just a head.

Valued Strike (Last 3 Beyers: 68-59-37)

* She is 2 for 2 in routes, including her one-length victory locally last month. That win was validated when the fillies who finished right behind her were one-two, separated by a neck, in an allowance July 30.

Happy to Go (Last 3 Beyers: 71-62-64)

* Faces statebreds for the first time since winning a six-furlong stakes at Presque Isle last September. Exits a good third against open company in early July. Trainer Armando De la cerda is 6 for 25 (24 percent) with a $2.40 return on investment with route runners returning from a break of 31 to 60 days.

R Frosty One (Last 3 Beyers: 73-74-75)

* Penn National-based filly tries Tapeta after being part of the exacta in five of her first six starts, all on dirt. Trainer Murray Rojas is 3 for 16 with first-time Tapeta runners but 0 for 2 in routes.