March 16, 2016

The first major test for older fillies and mares on the road to the BC Distaff comes Saturday afternoon at SA and the Grade I Santa Margarita, originally raced as a handicap, now offers standard weights but an increased purse of $500.000 for the 2016 edition. As such, an extremely talented field of eight has been assembled led by a pair of current champions in both the F&M Sprint and Distaff, plus a trio of Grade I winners and a recent Grade II winner who scored the biggest win over her career over this track as well as some very good fillies. All in all, while some might look at the field with a distinct favourite or two, this is a truly wide open affair with fillies looking to prove their worth and others looking to regain their lost glory.

1-Distant Cousin (Four-year-old gray cousin / Owner-D J C Racing Stables)

After a few failed attempts to carry her speed around two-turns, Distant Cousin was cut back to sprint distances at the end of 2015 and earned a year-end championship with scores in the TC of America, BC F&M Sprint and La Brea Stakes. After winning the Grade II Fritchie to start her year, she moves back to two-turns here and even with a returning jockey and the inside post, will have to be at her very best to handle the top distaffers at their own game.

Analysis-Would have been a lock at GP this weekend instead

Fair Odds-8/1

2-Baja Burrito (Five-year-old bay mare / Owner-Buddhabase)

Baja Burrito never finished worse than third last year and closed out her season with a solid score in the Falls City Handicap at CD but that was at one of the lower weights in the field and now she will have to carry a bigger impost against the best, with only a third against similar in her seasonal debut to back her up. She progressed to a career-best speed rating at the end of last year but regressed to start 2016 and that kind of downward momentum is never good, and the hope is that she can at least stay with the leaders into the lane before trying to close against proven outside speed.

Analysis-Faces a big test against tough rivals

Fair Odds-15/1

3-Protection (Four-year-old bay filly / Owner-Team 7 Illusions)

Protection had a decent season racing primarily at WO as a three-year-old but has only gone around two-turns twice without a victory and is now asked to tackle that task against the absolute best of her division. Coming off a four-month layoff with only one published workout, the hope is that Team 7 Illusions can put another one out of the fire and score a huge upset here, although she is certainly not at the talent level 2006 winner Maxim was when she scored in this event way back when.

Analysis-Makes her seasonal debut here and looks overmatched to start

Fair Odds-25/1

4-A Class Angie (Five-year-old bay mare / Owner-Night Rider Stables)

A Class Angie had an identical campaign in 2015 as she did in 2014, with two wins, two seconds and two thirds from 10 starts, and after finishing fourth in this race last year, she will try to step up her game with a bit more freshening and push into the upper echelons of the Distaff class this year. A rousing winner of the HOU Ladies Classic to start her campaign, she certainly has the talent to close into the pace and with speed to both her inside and her outside, there will be plenty to set up one of the best late kicks at HRP right now.

Analysis-Classy veteran will be charging down the SA stretch

Fair Odds-4/1

5-Broomsticks N Booty (Four-year-old bay filly / Owner-Drabfantasy)

Grade I KY Oaks winner Broomsticks N Booty nearly won the BC Distaff after charging into second, and has nearly won her last three races including a turf marathon against the boys at HOU, so the feeling is that the talent is there but maybe not the will to win and she now steps back into top-class company in search of a winning move. Speed ratings have never hit triple-digits and she has shown speed as of late, only to falter; facing the best female sprinter in town, she will have her hands full and that could leave her vulnerable when the closing come knocking.

Analysis-Sitting chilly with a single late move might be best

Fair Odds-8/1

6-Lullaby Maker Tf (Four-year-old black filly / Owner-Team 7 Illusions)

The HOU Ladies Classic is a race known more for who has NOT won it, as opposed to who HAS won it, and that it why there was no real surprise when Lullaby Maker Tf failed to score, joining the likes of Poncho Suzi, Shadow Of A Doubt, Chili King, Karloff, Clutch Situation and Devil Wears Prada as fillies who failed at the age of four. Her real test will come here in the Santa Margarita as she really steps up into the older ranks and on equal footing as the rest, she will have to find that kick around the turn if she hopes to get into contention turning for home.

Analysis-Faltered in her seasonal debut but can rebound here

Fair Odds-7/2

7-Google Maps (Four-year-old gray filly / Owner-Aml Racing)

After winning the SA Oaks and the Black-Eyed Susan as a three-year-old, Google Maps tried tough Grade I company in four straight starts with only mild success and saw a drop into the Grade III Comely and an allowance company as a way to build back her confidence. Speed ratings have been solid and she gets an outside post to work with but the feeling is that she might be a second-tier filly against the best and will hope to move up for a minor award against others with questionable form.

Analysis-Got some confidence back and will look to build

Fair Odds-8/1

8-Quiet Elegance (Four-year-old black filly / Owner-Mb Stables)

Quiet Elegance really steps up to the plate in the Grade II La Canada with a wire-to-wire win against older rivals and will aim to take it one step further with a repeat of that effort in the Santa Margarita to cap a great SA meeting. Owner Mb Stables has won this race twice in the last two years and this filly takes a similar path to Stella Artois, who owned a big win over the course before a top class effort put her into the top of her division.

Analysis-Outside post will put her into the game early

Fair Odds-5/1

Overall

The best of the best in the Distaff division assemble at SA on Saturday for the annual running of the Grade I Santa Margarita and Lullaby Maker Tf, winner of the BC Distaff and two other Grade I events, looks to rebound in a big way at her preferred nine-furlong distance. A Class Angie chased her around in three consecutive starts to end last year but finally got the better of her at HOU in her 2016 debut and could make it two straight with another closing effort while Quiet Elegance looks to build on a big seasonal debut and score her second straight at SA from an outside stall.

Prediction

Win-Lullaby Maker Tf (7/2)

Place-A Class Angie (4/1)

Show-Quiet Elegance (5/1)

Triple T Racing 🙂

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES