La Troienne – Grade I
 CD Race #10 1 1/16m Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $750.000 For Fillies And Mares Four Years Old And Upward.

1      Mag Ol         Greyfriars Stable      Karamanos HA

Had a nice three year old season winning the FG Oaks and then running second in both the Mother Goose and The Alabama and really wasn’t far off the best in her age group. She was a big disappointment in the BC Distaff but had a tough draw so we should probably forgive her that. Her seasonal reappearance saw her a decent fifth in the HOU Ladies Classic from this same draw but again there were some excuses as she got selected for a bad start that day and really only got going too late.
Being a four year old she may take her time to get competitive this year but if she can find the start and lay up just a little closer she may be a threat for top three.

2     Shes A Super Freak       YME Stable         Chirinos R

Her only really disappointing effort last year came in the KYO when she was drawn wide but she has promised to be a super freak one minute and then has been a bit flat the next so it is hard to know which filly will turn up today. She gets every favor from the draw monster today and was a grade one winner in the Beholder last time out so there is a lot to like about her chances here.

3      Belmont Strong       TwinTowersRacing       Saez G

Dare i say it but whilst this one may be overlooked against some of the more established names here she may just be the best value in this race, not least because she hails from the giant killing stable of TwinTowers. Her form isn’t peppered with stakes runs but she has run well enough in very competitive open allowances and i just wonder if she gets the start and dictates the pace whether she may be the one to cause the most trouble to the big three.

4  Fashionable       Mb Stables         Franco M

What do we see today, the mare who can run 1.08 and 1.34 flat to win one of the biggest open stakes races of the year or the one that next time out ran much slower in the Azeri and couldn’t beat a seven year old mare? One thing is very likely and that’s the fact we will never see her run a race like she did in the Pegasus again as that does look like one of those ‘perfect storms’ that blows up at HRP now and again. With nearly 3K in prize pool though this is a serious mare. She was fourth in this race last year making the running with a 1.10 and 4 split rather than the 1.08 and 2 for 6 furlongs and still couldn’t hold on to win so i am really not sure we can use her remarkable run in the Pegasus as a reliable form guide.
No doubt good enough on her day if that day is today.

5        Tenrikyo       Smokey Stover          Jaramillo E

The KYO winner back in 2019 she has wracked up over 3K in prize money since and is still going strong. Looking at her form it seems she has to have things go her way because her running style goes from front runner to deep closer to stalker on an almost race to race basis and whilst that may be down to the race engine, the trainer or her own inconsistency it still makes her a tentative choice in most her races. Behind Fashionable in the Azeri it is tough to see where she can turn that around without a bit of race engine fortune.

6       Lady Narloff       TwinTowersRacing        Velazquez J R

Another entry from the giant killing stable and this one is a far different prospect from the other runner because she really does have the form and the work times to get amongst the big three without any help. Pacey enough to win at grade one over seven furlongs and strong enough to last this trip in stakes company she is sure to make the great fillies and mares around her think very hard about taking her on early doors. Se is good enough to win but tactics will be key here, either by design or by AI.

7        Naples         Arindel          Ferrer J C

Last but not least is last years Distaff winner who looked nigh on unbeatable as a three year old but has been beaten three times as a four year old. It is always tough when the three’s turn four especially in the early part of the year as the HRP progression doesn’t seem to take place until mid year for the fours. Well beaten in the Azeri she was better last time out when beaten a nose by Tenrikyo in the Doubledogdare so is clearly not far off her brilliant best. The draw worries me as she hasn’t ever handled wide draws well, in fact she had this same gate when running near last in the Azeri.
Her best wins, but will we see her best today?

SUMMARY

Wow what a great race this is and with form all over the place it is very hard to see any filly or mare that is superior enough to pick as a winner. I have a feeling this will be a very tactical race and as usual the winner will be the one who is either lucky, gets the nod from the race engine or whose trainer manages to find a winning combination of instructions. For that reason i cannot pick a winner but will instead put Mag Ol, Belmont Strong and Lady Narloff in a boxed Exacta in the hope of a big pay out.

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES