The Ballerina – Grade I [BC]
SAR Race #8 7f Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $500.000 For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward.
1 Dame Magnifique D J C Racing Stables Pennington F
Its a sure sign that 2018 has been a wet year when a filly in her eighth race of the year has raced on an off track more often than a dry one. Her form is pretty good in both conditions so i dont think she will mind either going but apart from a couple of wins in lesser races she has struggled against this type of competition. She was impressive last time out so may have found some improvement and with the three year old weight allowance you cannot write off her chances.
2 Cocoa Nut Team 7 Illusions Lezcano J
This lightly raced three year old has won 3 races this year and all of them by a neck of less . That sort of stat tells me she has plenty of heart and she comes from a stable and a blood line that has been in good recent form. An on speed sort she may burn out trying to beat the wide drawn fillies but as i said just a minute ago you cannot write off a lightly raced three year old in this sort of race.
3 Manifest Smokey Stover Lopez P
She comes back in trip after some good races over further but i have to be honest she hasnt screamed sprinter in her races so far and good though she is she may find this trip a bit sharp. Her recent close second in the Acorn was very good form though and if she can stay close enough early on she is sure to be finishing strongly.
4 Toleration Mb Stables Velazquez J R
The older horses tend to struggle against the three’s but if any division holds its own its the female division so its much harder to write off the older fillies and mares in this race. A winner of the Apple Blossom Handicap with bottom weight she recently took the princess Rooney Handicap over this trip with a bit more weight and is definitely on the improve even after a great three year old season. Her works, like all of the horses in the Mb stables are very impressive but i will need to see her prove herself at weight for age before getting too excited about her future.
5 Symphonic Team 7 Illusions Bravo J
This filly rather typifies the silliness of HRP’s class system as she went from being beaten in allowances to winning an ungraded stakes to very nearly winning the grade one Test last time out. That was a huge effort and some put it down to the testing track but you cant take that form away from her ona track that may well end up wet. Works are OK but she comes from a sire and a stable in very good form and she could well end up being a top choice.
6 Molly Magne Gdp Inc Sanchez M J
This may be the best three year old in the race which would make her the favourite to win but she only really has form over longer than this so it will be interesting to see how she handles this drop back in trip. An impressive winner of the Mother Goose she then came out and ran a huge race in the Hirsch last time out only going down by a half length in the end. Her recent efforts suggest she is better than her two average efforts in the KYO and Ashland and a recent work suggests she may have the pace for this trip.
7 Beat To The Punch Mb Stables Bejarano R
One of the top two year olds she progressed nicely at the start of the year winning the Davona Dale and GP Oaks on the way to a great effort from a wide draw to be fourth in the KYO. She made the running that day in an attempt to win, a virtually impossible task at HRP and was pretty game through to the line to be beaten just a length. Her recent two efforts have been OK, probably her close fifth in the CCA Oaks being the best but there is a suggestion by dropping back in trip that her trainer is looking for something to rekindle her interest. At her best she goes close by there is a niggling worry.
8 Ghost Landing Nakamura Stables Talamo J
She has a good record but may have a bit to find with the best of these, She ran well last time out in the Pitcher Stakes but i would be looking elsewhere for the winner.
9 Coldpack John Henry Saez L
A shock winner of the Acorn, that really is the best bit of form she can be judged on for this race but it is hard to weigh up as she hasnt repeated that before or since. That could be put down to a couple of off tracks so you have to be careful before making a hasty decision but her run in the Test last time was pretty bad. At her best she goes close and she is one of the few that will be suited by this trip.
10 Poll Vault Team 7 Illusions Saenz D
She has been racking up the wins in statebreds and is yet another runner out of Cherokee Sunset and trained by Team 7 Illusions. Her record is very good but it’s vritually impossible to compare her form to anything else in this race. A wide draw wont help.
11 Forgotten Past Mb Stables Gallardo A A
Won the Doubledogdare in good style before a great effort in the grade one Beholder saw her finish a close fourth. She was a bit average in the Hirsch last time which may be the reason she comes back in trip today and if she can live up to her name and remember her forgotten good form she could be a contender.
12 Temple Of The Brave Crocker Ggs Ortiz I Jr
Its such a shame that the best horse on paper gets the terrible car park draw but she is an on pace type and as long as nothing makes her work too hard to the bend she may be OK. Brilliant in last years BC Fillies and mares Sprint she was only beaten a neck into second and whilst she has been a little below par this year so far she has been set up for a later campaign so should be ready to do her best today.
SUMMARY
Temple of the Brave is such a lovely filly that it would be great to see her win today and to be honest she is one of the few dedicated sprinters in the field so her experience could out weigh the three year old weight allowance and the terrible draw. Of the three’s that will probably beat her Molly Magne and Beat To The Punch look good and i think Manifest cold be right in this too.
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