Spring Fever Stakes ($100.000 Purse)
SA- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward Foaled in CA
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
February 24, 2019
This Sunday at SA, the fifth running of the Spring Fever Stakes will be held. Perhaps in California there may be some spring fever going on, but there’s still plenty of winter left for many of us. Perhaps it was only fitting then that the first ever winner of this race was named Sudden Blizzard. This race is for older female Californians, and is a six furlong sprint. There will be five going to the gate, and we should be in for a good race. Let’s meet the field!
#1- Machined (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by J Talamo)- Had a strong four year old season, winning four out of six races, which culminated in taking the $75.000 Bear Fan at GG, a race with similar conditions as this one. The Cherokee Sunset mare enters her five year old season still on the track and hoping to build on that success. Was a non factor on the grass in her last start, and while that is the surface she has the most starts on, she has been more successful on the main track.
#2- Sweetbaby Laga (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J Rosario)- This is a big leap forward for this filly that was claimed for $10.500 after a lackluster performance in October. She’s only started once for the new trainer, coming last month at SUN, in a claimer that she won. The speed figure and race time are not particularly impressive, so something new must have been discovered. The trainer is confident with Rosario in the saddle despite his having only two wins in 55 starts here this year.
#3- Phun Stick (Axeman, ridden by R Bejarano)- An interesting filly in that since winning an allowance in May 2018, she has made nine starts, and finished second in seven of them, and third in the other two. There are several graded stakes in that, which even include the BC Fillies and Mares Sprint. Those results means she is making money and being productive, but after so many close calls for victories, the trainer would love to see her finally win here. This will be her third start in six weeks, and I am sensing another second.
#4- Laffin At Ya (Chili King Stables, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- This six year old mare knows how to win, having done so in eight of 25 career starts. While Phun Stick was running second in the BC Fillies and Mares Sprint, Laffin At Ya was winning the $95.000 Dream Supreme the next day at CD. She’s tried graded company a few times, but the Dream Supreme remains her only stake win. Despite this, I feel she will beat Phun Stick and win this race. Horses making their second start on short rest is fine in this game. It’s the third start in a short span that is often the problem. That’s Phun Stick’s issue, and Laffin At Ya may do just that to her rival in the stretch.
#5- Liverpool Spitfire (Childs Play, ridden by D Van Dyke)- This filly has mostly been seen in allowances, and on the grass. All three wins are on the grass, but they were for small purses. On the main track, Liverpool Spitfire put together a second place effort at the $100.000 Grable. In her first race for Childs Play, she was third in an optional claimer. She tries a race similar to the Grable here, but she is in the same position as Phun Stick with it being her third race in six weeks. If it wasn’t for that, I’d feel better about her.
Prediction: 4-3-1-5
— NS
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
