Saturday’s graded stakes action takes place at Churchill Downs, with the Grade 2, $200,000 Mrs. Revere; at Aqueduct, with the Grade 3, $250,000 Red Smith Handicap; and at Del Mar, with the Grade 3, $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes. Laurel has an attractive, stakes-packed card topped by the $350,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash.
De Francis Dash
Trainer Linda Rice is a key element to this pick three play on Saturday at Laurel Park, which ends with the Grade 1 De Francis Dash. Rice must win the Safely Kept (R9) with likely favorite Hot City Girl and not win the De Francis (R10) with likely favorite Palace.
Trainer Michelle Nevin saddles Gold Medalist (#1, ML 6-1) in Wednesday's fourth race at Aqueduct, a one-mile maiden special weight race on turf. Since Jan. 1, 2014, Nevin is winning at a 29 percent clip when saddling a horse switching from sprint to route, for a return on investment of $3.23.
IN EQUALITY
Trainer: Leah Gyarmati
Last race: Nov. 8, 9th
Finish: 4th by 2
Beyer: 70
Two-year-old colt by Quality Road improved his Beyer Figure by a dozen points when stretched out from seven furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, rallying through the late stages to pass five rivals in a maiden special weight turf route.
SOLON’S WARNING
Trainer: David Bell
Last race: Nov. 5, 7th
Finish: 5th by 8 1/2
Beyer: 54
She galloped out in front after closing belatedly from 11th first time out in a five-furlong maiden special. The daughter of Stormy Atlantic should be more effective in longer sprints, and her trainer has impressive stats with maiden second-timers.
SEEKING THE SHERIF
Trainer: Ron Ellis
Last race: Nov. 5, 7th
Finish: 4th by 3
Beyer: 76
This veteran was re-claimed for $32K by Ellis from Gus Headley. Ellis won six races with the gelding in 2014-15. He handles mud; the winter-long forecast in Southern California is for wet.
COMMENT: The New York graded stakes turf season for distaffers ended, fittingly, with a win by trainer Chad Brown, who’s been the dominant force on grass in the region this year. Goldy Espony rattled off three straight wins this spring/summer before running ninth as the 8-5 favorite in Saratoga’s Grade 3 Glens Falls Sept. 5. Freshened since, she went back to her using her best asset – speed – to dominate the proceedings.
Trainer Chad Brown saddles Intensity (#8, ML 8-1) in Sunday's ninth race at Aqueduct, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race on turf. Since Jan., 1, 2014, Brown is winning at a 27 percent clip when saddling a horse making its debut at a mile or greater, for a return on investment of $3.47.
Little Daniella (#5, 10-1) returns in Sunday's third race at Gulfstream Park West, a five-furlong allowance on turf. It will be her first start since finishing first by 3/4 lengths in a claiming race Oct. 2 at Gulfstream Park. The second- and third-place finishers from that race came back to win their next starts.
A few more thoughts about last week’s Breeders’ Cup at beautiful Keeneland:
** It was wild the way the female turf championship seemed to change hands so quickly last Saturday. First, Stephanie’s Kitten staked a strong claim to the title by winning the Filly and Mare Turf over the high-class (and unlucky) Legatissimo. That was Stephanie’s Kitten’s second straight Grade 1 victory this fall, coming right on the heels of her win in the Flower Bowl.
