TC of America – Grade II
6 1/2 Furlongs Dirt Gaded Stake Purse $400.00 Filles & Mares Three-Year-Olds & Upward. At KEE

1st      Honey           Martyparty                  5-1 HRP *8-5 SRF

So, youth prevailed. Four-year-old Honey returned to her Grade II form with a near-perfect stalker performance coming from a steady fifth in the early going to a nice roundhouse swing around the far turn and into the stretch for a neck win at the wire. Sad that Lady Sammyantha had to have such a bad day. I was looking forward to a close battle between the two.

2nd      Monarchy                       Mo Mentum Farm  `             8-1 HRP 2-1 SRF

When

Monarchy won her first seven races; she was a monster. Now that she is racing like this, she is a good racehorse. When she settles down to a career of these, she will be a great racehorse. She basically had herself a race with Honey from start to finish. They were pretty-much never more than a head apart until the end where Honey pulled to a neck.

3rd      Lilahs Empire                         Royalty Stables             19-1 HRP 15-1 SRF

Lilahs Empire was outrun to the far turn where the one-time front runner let loose with a wicked close that came within a half-length of running them down. This kind of run sometimes happens with front running route lasses, but this lass has been running on the lead in sprints as well.

4th      Illusionary State                      Nakamura Stables                     7-1 HRP 20-1 SRF

Illusionary State was over 1,000-1 in the Great Lady M Stakes. I’m not going to argue one way or another the merits of those odds, but I will say that her second in that race is a little like taking the last lass home at closing and waking up with a doll. What’s really in contention here is how I, after then seeing a two-length romp at SAR from her, could give her 20-1 odds. She took the lead out of the gate and carried it into the stretch before getting collared by only a half-length at the wire.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES