The Ladies Turf Sprint
GP Race #5 5f Turf Stake
Purse $125.000 For Fillies And Mares Four Years Old And Upward.
1 Miss Fury Mb Stables Velazquez J R 124 —
A stakes winning filly at three, she won half of her races last year and looked like a decent sprinter in the making. This will be a key year for her as she takes on her four-year-old season, but she has raced a fair amount so may be the type that can handle this difficult season. She won her last two in sharp times over this trip with one being over this course and distance. She is proven in the grade and loves these inside draws she keeps getting so must be a very good chance of taking home the pot.
2 Lady Of Lord Our Athletes Saez L 124 —
The winner of 15 races and nearly $1,500.000, she is certainly suited by the race conditions running without penalty for some big graded stakes wins. From this draw I expect her to bounce the gates and lead, or stalk and she certainly has the track record to be hard to beat. At seven there is always a niggling doubt that she may be reaching the end of her career, but she certainly showed no signs of that when winning in December. On paper probably the winner.
3 Cowgirls Maxmillion Farm Bridgmohan S X 124 —
She may just find this trip on the short side but proved last time with the help of the game buttons or the race engine that she can go fast in sprints. The trainer must always be feared on the grass and there is no reason she doesn’t run a big race. I am not sure she is as good as some, but we all know that HRP is a game of inches and if they go in her favor, she has the ability to win.
4 Lwaxana Alydar Stables Wilson E J 124 —
The name looks like a cat crawled on the keyboard and her form has that sort of look as well. Though her form isn’t as good as many her works of course are faster than the likely favorites showing once more just how hard it can be to place these horses based on works. She has a closing style and that may be suited with so much early pace in the race, but it will be hard to mount a sprint finish over five furlongs and the best she may do is place.
5 Ponzi Scheme TwinTowersRacing Gaffalione T 124 —
She certainly hit her straps at the end of last year and carried that on in her first start this year. Only at HRP do we see a horse win over a mile and 3/8ths, then over six and a half and now be a contender over five furlongs all at stakes level and in a row but it is something we have got used to seeing and reminds us that this is a game. She is proven on the surface and at the trip and of course this trainer very often makes the hard look easy.
6 Snakie Bay Smokey Stover Moore R L 124 —
The draw monster groups the two Smokey Stover runners in the outside gates and they both may look to use the outside speed push to set up a real speed duel. This ultra consistent filly has never been out of the first three and is a real five-furlongr specialist and whilst she has been racing at lower grade she has been going as fast as the group one winners in both works and races.
7 Antares Smokey Stover Lopez P 124 —
Raced from a wide gate in the BC Turf Sprint and was disappointing so I do wonder whether the trainer will restrain her a bit today. That could be a good tactic with so much early speed, and she is proven at stakes level, so with luck could very well win. Having said the wide gate speed push should be enough for her to find the lead and that could break the heart of her rivals, so it will be an interesting button choice for the trainer.
SUMMARY
These sprints are often won by the race engine and maybe a bit of gaming by the trainers. There is a bag of pace here so it will be fast and furious and that could play into the hands of those with a bit more speed at the end of the race. I think if the tactics work out Antares could win but you have to rely on things that are out of your control. Having said that, there are seven horses here that if they win you can make a convincing case as to why that happened.
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
