SUN Oaks (KYO)- $300.000 Purse
SUN- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
March 27, 2022
Coming up on Sunday, we will have another fantastic prep race for the KYO, even though the SUN Oaks has not been given a graded distinction. What it does offer, other than a $300.000 purse, is 50 valuable points for the big race that is just five weeks away. We will have nine heading to the starting gate for the race, including a maiden and a couple looking to prove themselves at this level. Some already have while others are somewhere in between. Nonetheless, they all have a shot to get into the KYO with 50 points earned right here. Last year, the race was won by Axeman, and his filly, Dord. It would be the final win for the horse, and she did not run in the KYO. Curiously, there were only four fillies in that race, so good to see it attract more interest this year. Let’s take a look at our runners!
#1- Greta (Royalty Stables, ridden by C J Hernandez)- As a two year old, this filly won two out of five races, including the $200.000 Rags To Riches on Halloween. Based on that, you would have thought she would have had a race this year already, but she has been idle since a flop in the Starlet in early December. This is a tough way to come off a layoff that approaches 120 days. Maybe it will be just the ticket for her, too.
#2- The Magic Box (Smokey Stover, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Won the Grade 3 Pocahontas in September, allowing her to run in the BC Juvenile Fillies, but she did not have a great race there. Since then, she has one good race out of three, which was an optional claimer she won. Surrounding that were higher profile disappointments. Ran in the Rebel last month when the trend was to run fillies in KYD preps and was soundly beaten.
#3- Angelic (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by D Davis)- This has the potential to be a very good weekend for D J C on the KYO trail with Venezia looking very promising in the FG Oaks, and then Angelic possibly being the one to beat here. She is 13th on the leaderboard right now with 22 points, and either a first or second place finish should see her through. Her two races of 2022 saw her run third in the Las Virgenes (Grade 3) and second in the Davona Dale (Grade 2).
#4- Miss Bounty (Mb Stables, ridden by A Cedillo)- Well, this filly has not done much of anything to this point, being winless in two starts. Worked nicely at AQU on Monday, so the trainer is going to take the shot with her here, it seems. Not many trainers would try this, and Mb will have a more experienced runner here, too.
#5- Flying Ridge (Mb Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- This is the one Mb Stables likely feels better about, though he has surprised me with multiple entries on many occasions. She’s won two of six, but has only made one stake start in her career to this point. That was right here last month in the $75.000 Island Stakes, where she was fourth. Not working as well as her stablemate is, interestingly enough.
#6- Sticky Content (Fractious, ridden by M Franco)- Up to this point, Sticky Content has not done a whole lot in her career, as she has only made four starts. Her only stake appearance was also in the aforementioned Island Stakes here last month, and after setting the back in the race, she would settle for a second place finish. Will need to go a little longer here, but is still one to watch.
#7- Say Bye Bye (Arindel, ridden by J C Ferrer)- The only horse in the field with more than seven starts, and she has made eleven. Three of them have been wins, but none of them have come since the end of August. She’s been close, missing by a length in the Grade 1 Frizette, then by half a length in the Grade 2 Golden Rod. Needs to rebound from a dud in the Alexandra, and perhaps that will come with tactics.
#8- Low Budget Java (Nakamura Stables, ridden by V R Carrasco)- This is the biggest threat to Angelic in the race, and both of them would be happy with a 1-2 finish as it figures to see both of them through to the KYO. Low Budget Java sits 16th on the leaderboard with 20 points right now, and both of the trainer’s top fillies as of now are running this week. This one has run well, though she did not start well in her last race, and it cost her. She usually is running at the front early.
#9- Killeen (First Flight Stable, ridden by T Gaffalione)- On the outside, this filly by Hamilton will be making her fifth start and hoping for win number two. She won on debut in September at SAR, something that is a nice accomplishment. That came on the grass, and it is where we saw her for her first three races before she made the move to the dirt last month for the $100.000 May against NY-breds, and came from off the pace to be third. May get a piece of this.
Prediction: 3-8-7-9
— NS
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
