The Pegasus F&M Turf – Grade III
GP Race #9 1 1/16m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $500.000 For Fillies And Mares Four Years Old And Upward.
This race has been going since 2004 but this year carries a $500 purse and has changed its name from the Marshuas River and joined the Pegasus series. Last years winner Ewa Beach will find this much harder to win but is certainly not out of making a unique double and the reigning BC champ is here to try and secure another trophy cabinet for the Smokey Stover Harem.
Here is how they line up:
1 Dream Scheme Jive Inc. Beschizza A
Like most three year olds this one struggled a little last year but showed enough progression to expect her to flourish when the improvement curve catches up. She won the Autumn Miss Stakes against her own age group towards the end of the year and then went on to run a creditable fifth in the grade one Matriarch in her last start at the end of November. That fifth came after a wide trip from a bad draw and you would expect her to run even better from this ace draw today. Her works have been solid and whilst she looks a bit out classed against some of these she is sure to run a decent race.
2 Party In The Brig Mo Mentum Farm Espinoza V
Another four year old who will be looking for improvement she ran some big races through the summer but her form tailed off a little in her last two starts. She ran a cracker to be third from a terrible draw in the grade one First Lady and like the one inside her will benefit from a vastly improved draw today. She seems to struggle when asked for early pace in her races which could be a problem against this very good field but i wouldn’t be surprised to see her right there at the end.
3 Ihaveasecret Nakamura Stables Gutierrez R
Lightly raced she improved leans and bounds last year finishing with a very strong second in the American Oaks. A front runner she tried to make all as usual in that last start but the wide draw caused her to use up too much juice early on and she was just found wanting at the end. This draw will certainly help her get to the front and settle better and you have to respect anything from this barn in these big races.
4 Proud Eights Mb Stables Ferrer J C
The winner of over 1.7K in pize money she was bought for $750 by Mb when Estero Farms exited the training ranks last year. The champion doesn’t often spend that sort of money on older horses and she immediately paid dividends with a strong win in the Waya. Backed into favorite for the BC Fillies and Mares she raced from a great gate but just didn’t find as much at the finish as many expected. A poor run today may see her retired to the paddocks but her works aren’t suggesting a decline and the champ always shines when these big purses come around.
5 Number Nine Smokey Stover Garcia Mar
Rather showed how form at HRP can be very reliant on draw and pace last year because after a comprehensive beating by Proud Eights in the Waya she then went over the same trip and raced the same style to beat that horse equally comprehensively in the BC Fillies and Mares. As the reigning BC champ she will have plenty of supporters here especially when you consider she nearly beat the boys in the Sword Dancer last year. She may be vulnerable if she sees to lead all the way again but must be considered among the favorites to win.
6 Yankee Stadium Smokey Stover Gutierrez Mario
Considering this one raced from gate 14 in the BC Fillies and Mares she did very very well to push her new stable mate to a head in finishing a brilliant second in that race. She had shown some steep improvement when taking the Rodeo Drive the race before that and doing it as a three year old which was pretty difficult last year was even more impressive. In her last start she took the American Oaks just holding out Ihaveasceret and i have a sneaking suspicion that Smokey may have bought the replacement winner of the BC for 2022.
7 Ewa Beach The American Prat F
What a great story this is for the trainer who claimed this one for $40 and then saw her secure the stables first grade two, three and one victories as she capped the year off with a win in the Matriarch. She had flown home for third in the BC Fillies and Mares as well so has been a real rags to riches story and is a flag bearer for the stable. She deserves her place here and is sure to be there at the end for what could be another great victory.
8 Mazula Girl Nakamura Stables Court J K
This brilliant trainer certainly finds them and this is another who came from nowhere to win her last two in stakes company. She was strong in the Frankel last time and has the benefit of being fitter than some today although out of the two stable mates i must admit i prefer the other one.
9 Phoe Eva Angelos Stable Castellano J J
A real solid mare she deservedly won the Goldikova last year after some really good efforts against the best of her sex. Just a length behind Ewa Beach when third in the Matriarch an effort like that put her right in the fight today and with a blow out in a sprint race last time she will be sharp today. The draw wont help her but she wont be far behind at the end.
10 Rosehunt Arindel Juarez N
This trainer may have been shining in recent months but they will have to be digging deep into their box of trick to get this filly home today. Not that she is a no hoper, she won the Appalachian last year so clearly has ability but nothing in her form so far says she would’ve been a contender in the BC last year so she may be up against it in this classy field. Her works are OK but her draw isn’t great but i liked the way she won her allowance last time and there may be a future for her after today.
11 Shining Moments RNP Stables Lopez P
This filly notched up three wins in a row culminating in the Mother Goose in the middle of the year last year and was looking like the three year old up and comer. Whilst she didn’t quite fulfill that promise, like most three year olds, she did take two more stakes races including the JC Oaks. Now the three’s seem to have caught up with the older’s she would be a really good hope here if the draw monster hadn’t struck and left her out in the cold. I still expect a good effort but it will have to be a great one to win from out here.
12 Fangs Of The Storm Arindel Rocco J S Jr
When things start going against you in this game they really do and both of the stable runners have been cruelly treated by the draw monster in this race. Second in both the SAR and the BEL Oaks last year she ran well in the BC and wasn’t far behind in the American Oaks last time out. She needs some things to go her way from the car park draw but if anyone can perform a miracle at the moment its this trainer.
SUMMARY
A great field for an early season race and there are plenty of unanswered questions, like fitness and improvement curves to ponder. I think Yankee Stadium may just be one of the stars this year and give her the nod from Ihaveasecret and Ewa Beach but there are plenty of chances in this race and the result could look very different.
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
