La Prevoyante Handicap (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
GP- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Inner Turf
January 28, 2023

The La Prevoyante Handicap is a race that initially was a part of the schedule at CRC, but would move to GP in 2014 and is now a part of the Pegasus undercard. It sends older females the maximum distance on the grass, and its purse has ranged from $100.000 to $200.000 since 2005. Last year, the race was won by Maletto’s Always Condottieri, and it was one of the four races she was victorious in during her four-year-old season. She appeared in the BC Fillies and Mares Turf and is certainly a good role model for any of the horses in this year’s race. Seven go to post, let’s take a look at them!

#1- Desegregation Bus (First Flight Stable, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Picked up in private sales in May for $20.000, this has actually only made three starts since then. She won on debut with First Flight, but then was idle all the way until the end of November. At that time, she ran at PRX and was second in an allowance, and then duplicated that result at TAM a month later. Lightly raced for her age but will need to prove herself at this level before I can pick her. It’s not impossible, though.

#2- Cmonyalll (Arindel, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- Showed promise early in her career, but a couple of poor efforts back-to-back over the spring delayed her progress. Once she won the $150.000 Melair at SA, she began to become more consistent and has been especially sharp in her last three, which all came on the grass. Ran a solid third at the Grade 3 Dowager in late October but has actually not been back on the track since then. The Commanding filly is now fresh and ready to have a strong four-year-old campaign.

#3- Mon Dieu (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by M Franco)- She was a three-time winner over 2022, with the highlight being the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes at WO against three rivals on yielding turf. Since then, Mon Dieu has been a consistent fourth place finisher, with the Grade 1 Taylor and the Dowager being among those races. Her last start saw her run in a five-furlong sprint, an allowance, where she was fourth again. Seems to be best for her to go long.

#4- Catawba (Sccj Stables, ridden by E J Zayas)- Similar to Cmonyalll in that she had shown potential early in her career, but had a stretch of poor races that held her back. In July, she appeared in the $100.000 Alywow Stakes and took home the win. Since then, Catawba has hit the board in all of her starts and that includes a pair of Grade 3’s. Finished off the year by dropping into an open allowance that she won as well. Now, we’ll see how she fares at twelve furlongs, as she has never gone more than nine previously.

#5- Scarlet And Gray (Nakamura Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- Here is the most accomplished horse in the field, as the Nakamura entry has earned over $900.000 for her career. This will be her 40th start, but it’s her first graded race since September 2021 when she appeared in the Locust Grove at CD. Since that time, she has mostly run in open allowances, then quality ungraded stakes, several of which had to have been graded quality. Her last race was not terribly impressive, but she is ready to rebound after a couple months off.

#6- Build Battle (Mb Stables, ridden by J Loveberry)- This one has plenty of experience running longer distances, going at least eleven furlongs in her last eight races. She’s hit the board in all of those starts and earned two wins during 2022. The Grade 3 Bewitch at KEE was the biggest of the wins, but even in 2021 she was running exceptionally well, including a second at the $700.000 JC Oaks. It’s her first race since the beginning of October, so if there is anything to be concerned about with her, it is that layoff.

#7- The Storm Is Here (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J Lezcano)- The Creepy Time filly broke her maiden at DMR in July, and ever since then, she has been running quite well. She is mostly untested at the stake level, though she did try the $125.000 Hettinger for NY-breds in September and was only beaten by one. Ran well at eleven furlongs in a PRX allowance in her last start, earning her the chance to step back up into this level.

Prediction: 6-2-4-5

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES