Buena Vista Stakes – Grade II
1 Mile Turf Stake Purse $200.000 Filly & Mare 4 Year Olds And Up.

1st      Perfectly Pink      The Freakshow       Alvarado F T

The trainer has a rather apt name to be in charge of this horse because she is beginning to look like a bit of a freak herself. The Freakshow bought this filly for just $16 after a fairly long career of finishing second or third in optional claimers at the likes of LAD and TUP. Just one month after buying her and removing blinkers she won a competitive claimer at BEL and then a sprint allowance at GG, remarkable as she hadn’t managed a win in lesser company in her ten starts prior to that. That however was not where the freakshow stopped, she has just kept on winning and now is undefeated in six for the new owner adding this grade two to her grade three success in the race before. She really is in top form and is clearly the breakthrough mare of the year, i wonder if she can remain unbeaten through to the BC?

2nd     Pure Motor        Night Rider Stables         Alvarado J

Ran a great race for second after getting into an early and stalk she is clearly improved as she reaches full maturity. I am still unconvinced she can stay a mile when close to the pace so she may well step back in trip to break her stakes duck.

3rd      Versailles        D J C Racing Stables         Bridgmohan S X

I am not really sure how this started favorite over a grade one winner but she is a consistent sort who again ran well without threatening the win. In third throughout she didn’t ever really look like challenging but third is around where i had her placed so this run could be said to be up to expectations.

=4th       Crackin Around       Williams9        Blanc B

Ran through from the trail to share fourth running a far better race than i expected. In only her fifth career start she has a lot more in front of her than many in this race and she could build into a useful sort.

=4th        Sweetness        High Voltage         Baird E T

Made the running early on but the lead isn’t what it was a couple of months ago and she weakened like she was on the old race engine into fourth. Not a bad effort and she beat a grade one winner and BC placed filly so not a bad effort.

Footnote:

I don’t often add anything outside the first four but i do feel compelled to mention Ewa Beach. Prior to this race the six year old had won three graded stakes at all three levels and ran third in the BC Fillies and Mares Turf so to see her run a complete dud in fifth was somewhat disappointing. With HRP having very little information to go on about how and why a horse runs like it does we will just have to wait to her next start to find out of this was just the old HRP random kicking in or the start of a decline to the breeding shed.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES