As the only stakes winner in a field of nine 3-year-old fillies, Laila's Punch may appear to be a lock and a likely single in the first leg of this weekend's Magna 5 wager.
Although Laila's Punch crushed six rivals in last month's Marshua Stakes, earning an 83 Beyer Speed Figure that compares favorably to the competition she will face in Saturday's $90,000 Wide Country at Laurel Park, there are a couple reasons for concern.
Half Heaven might be making her final career start Saturday at Turfway Park in the Likely Exchange Stakes, or she might not. The 5-year-old mare was purchased at auction last November with the idea of perhaps having her bred in the spring. "But if she runs big again Saturday, she might stay in training," said her trainer, Dale Romans.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Originally, it appeared that Saturday's $150,000 Davona Dale Stakes might provide an early-season treat - a matchup of Eclipse Award winner Dreaming of Anna and trainer Shug McGaughey's promising Grade 2 winner Boca Grande. In the end, however, both fillies passed the one-mile race, which serves as a steppingstone to the meet's most important race for 3-year-old fillies, the Grade 2 Bonnie Miss on March 10.
NEW ORLEANS - The deep and talent-packed field of 3-year-old fillies entered in Saturday's Grade 3 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds seems certain to produce at least one prospect for the important spring stakes to come, including the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks on March 10. All of the top contenders, though, have questions they must answer.
Will Total show the same ability going around two turns that she has demonstrated in sprints? Will Get Ready Bertie continue to improve as the distances increase?
ARCADIA, Calif. - Romance Is Diane is on a three-race winning streak, with the most recent win coming in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes in December. She should be a top contender for Saturday's $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita, but the race is full of other prominent fillies.
Baroness Thatcher won the Gradeo3 Santa Ysabel Stakes on Jan.o6, a day before Rags to Riches impressively beat maidens. Jump On In won the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes on Jan. 15. Slew o' Platinum won the minor Sun Devil Stakes at Turf Paradise on Jan. 20.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Wayne Catalano had three choices for Eclipse Award winner Dreaming of Anna's 3-year-old debut this winter at Gulfstream Park. There was the 6 1/2-furlong Old Hat or one-mile Davona Dale Stakes on Saturday, or the Gaily Gaily Stakes over the turf two weeks later.
The suspense ended early Thursday afternoon when Saturday's overnight revealed Catalano had decided on the $150,000 Old Hat, much to the chagrin of the connections of the five other 3-year-old fillies entered in the Grade 3 dash.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Mr. Pursuit returns to Oaklawn on Saturday for the Grade 3, $100,000 Essex Handicap a more accomplished runner than he was here a year ago, and he made good use of his time then. Mr. Pursuit won his maiden race and a first-level allowance here last meet, but since then has gone on to win the $275,000 Oklahoma Derby and the $75,000 Governor's Cup, both at Remington.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Is it possible for a legitimate Kentucky Derby contender to bloom at Aqueduct in the winter? Saturday's $65,000 Whirlaway Stakes will go a long way in determining that.
Arguably the three best 3-year-olds seen around here this winter - Lawrence the Roman, Summer Doldrums, and Sports Town - are all entered in the Whirlaway, run at 1o1/16 miles over the inner track. All three have run impressive races, but all three have more to prove.
NEW ORLEANS - A deadpan question was put to trainer Neil Howard this week: How's Mineshaft? Howard looked wistfully over at the first stall in his shed row, occupied four years ago by Mineshaft. "I wish," Howard said.
Instead of the horse Mineshaft, there is a Grade 3, $200,000 race named the Mineshaft at Fair Grounds on Saturday, and Howard has a horse for it, though Patriot Act has neither the speed nor the sheer ability of his champion predecessor. The issue for Patriot Act and others in the Mineshaft field is this: Can Master Command be caught?
Missy Can Do seeks to win the $10,000 Bold Accent Stakes at Fonner Park for the fourth consecutive year when she heads a compact but strong field of five in the half-mile sprint for fillies and mares.
Curtis Kimes, who teamed up with the now 7-year-old Missy Can Do to win the 2005 running of this stakes, will be back aboard for trainer Joe Thomas.
A trio of 4-year-olds will join the mix, including multiple stakes winners Nikki Nine and Lovesablumin, along with J. J.'s Bobble, who won her only career start last May.