The Pines Stakes, Purse $100.000, Grade 1, One Mile, Dirt 3 Year Old Fillies
Today at Del Mar there is a nice Grade 3 stakes race going a flat mile on the dirt for 3 year old fillies. This nice race has drawn 5 fillies that are all looking to make a jump up in class and get their first career graded stakes win. Let’s take a look at the field:
1-Moon Flowers (D J C Racing Stables)- She has started 14 career times and has won 4 of them. She has won 2 overnight stakes races with one of those stakes wins coming 2 races back. One of her 4 wins have come going the route of ground and that was also her race 2 back going today’s distance. She was rushed back to the races 20 days after that in and tried the turf and did not appear to like it much. She posted a solid 6 furlong work in her only public work out of that race so getting her back to the same trip where she won last may be the trick.
2-One Hundred (Chili King Stables)- She has started 9 times in her career and just broke her maiden last race out, in a maiden claiming race at DMR going 5 furlongs on the turf. She has never raced beyond 6 furlongs in any of her races so maybe she can step it up going longer. I went through her work history and couldn’t see any one mile dirt works that would help me gauge if the more ground will be a help her step up to the next level but based upon what I can see I think it may be a tough task for her.
3-Brawl Dead End (Marcus White)- She got to the races just a couple months ago where she won easily in a MSW race at a free track. Off that win she was purchased for $275.000 and then placed into an overnight stakes race where she had the lead early but faded to finish 5th by 3 lengths. She came out of that race well and posted a solid 7 furlong dirt work. She is very very lightly raced but she does have some potential….will it show up in this race? We will find out later today but think that this one may have something special.
4-Live For Today (MB Stables)- She is an all or nothing type horse winning 3 out of 7 lifetime starts but has missed the board in every other start. She has run in some top races prior to her last start which was a win in an OC race. That last win was in a very nice time at LA going today’s distance of ground and she powered away from the rest of the field. She seems to be maturing at the right time and this is the next logical step up the class ladder. For me she is the one to beat in this race.
5-Betty Wisky (Running Farms) She is another lightly raced horse with 2 wins from 5 starts but she has yet to miss the board after her very first race. She has managed to win an overnight stake with also a strong 2nd place finish in an overnight stakes. She also finished 2nd in a Grade 3 race where she had the lead midway through but still held on for 2nd place. She has yet to win going a route of ground but has shown the ability to win at 7 furlongs so I don’t think that the extra furlong will be that much of an issue. She came out of her last race well and posted 2 solid 6 furlong works both on turf and dirt. She should be there in the mix at the end.
I always enjoy races where a new Graded Stakes winner will be crowned at the end which is going to happen here. I look forward to finding out who that new graded stakes filly will be. Here is my prediction. 4-3-5-1
Warbucks
Categories: Grade III
