There will be a field of four going to post for the eighth running of the South Ocean Stakes.  The race is for two year old fillies who were bred in ON and presents an opportunity to win a $125.000 purse and is yet another great example of the type of statebred racing that exists throughout our game. You’d think it would attract a full field.  The race debuted on our calendar. but was not held in 2007 and 2011.   I must say that this is a disappointing race.  What this race will do, is present a high purse and most importantly the foundation for future stakes success for its winner.  What it really is, is nothing more then an allowance field.  More then likely, there will be two year old allowances at high level tracks going that have a deeper field.  It will be interesting to peruse them and see if there are any ON-breds in them that could have qualified here.  There are two in here with some stake experience, but there is not that one horse to beat here.  Let’s hope the winner will build off of this and this foursome goes on to have great careers.  For now though, this isn’t much more then allowance in terms of quality, I hate to say.  Here are our runners!

#1- El Ghost (Wolfs Den, ridden by E J Wilson)-  This filly by Laffin Ghost debuted on September 30th at MNR, and was so good that no other horses appeared on the viewer.  The race was a mile long, and at four furlongs, Laffin Ghost was 10-lengths off the lead.  By the time it was all said and done, she won the race by thirteen lengths.   That’s pretty cool to watch, but it was MNR and the ending race winning time was not anything special.  It did inspire Wolfs Den to purchase her from breeder Team 7 Illusions for $30.000. She was promptly placed in the $150.000 Fanfreluche Stakes, for ON-breds, and she would be last, losing by nine lengths, although that was in a six furlong race.   Broomstick Patty, who she sees again, only lost by one length in that race.   It’s probable that she will fare much better in this race, and in this type of field, anyone can win.

#2- Jazzy Spirit (Axeman, ridden by P Husbands)-  Things are going to be a lot different for this Champsville filly.  So far in three races, she has never gone more then five furlongs.  She has also been no where close to stakes level competition in her career.  Jazzy Spirit was second in her RUI debut, then fourth at ELP in her second race.  Finally, she won her maiden against ON-breds, but at FE and not WO, and she only needed to beat two other horses that day.  Off of that, it’s here to the South Ocean Stakes.  Judging by her works, she looks like she has been begging to go longer, so I am very confident that she will be fine at this distance and potentially flourish at it.  The question is whether or not she can handle this type of field.  Fortunately, it’s not an overwhelming bunch to earn her stripes against.

#3- Laff Night Out (Buddhabase, ridden by D Moran)- On paper, Laff Night Out looks a lot like Jazzy Spirit.   She has only raced twice in her career, and has not been in the strongest of fields.  Buddhabase purchased her as an unraced horse in the June auction for $30.01, and has been patient with her.  In late August, she was sent  to CLS to make her debut, but that did not go very well.  She did bounce back well in her second race, taking a five furlong turf maiden at BTP.   That is her resume for this race, but the most attractive thing about Laff Night Out are her work times.  She has been waiting to go longer and should enjoy this distance.  Can she win at it, and at this level?  Well, she is just as much of an unknown as the others.

#4- Broomstick Patty (Hawaiian Shirt Guy, ridden by G L Olguin)-  If there is one horse in this field who could potentially dust this field, it is Broomstick Patty.    She has hit the track three times in her career, and is a length shy from being able to say she won all three of them.   Her first two races ended in wins, one of which was a seven furlong win in a BEL allowance in early October,  Her last race was the $150.000 Fanfreluche Stakes for ON-breds, and she was the runner up in the event.  Earnings wise, if you combine the winnings of the other three horses, and then quadruple it, you still will not surpass her $63.720 in earnings.  That is likely a testament to the smaller amounts won by the others, though.  No one else is as impressive in the past performances, and she should be a huge favorite on race day.  So, why am I calling this such a wide open race, then?  I would have preferred to see a little quicker of a breeze at seven furlongs, but really I just think another in this field is capable of uncorking a big race at this distance.  Or, maybe I am just trying unsuccessfully to beat the obvious favorite.

Prediction: 4-2-3-1

— NS