The Demoiselle (Grade 2) (KYO)- $250.000 Purse
AQU- For Fillies Two Years Old
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
December 7, 2024

It’s a big weekend for two-year-olds at the Big A on Saturday, as races that award points for both the KYO and the KYD will take place. Here, we will look at the filly’s side in the 20th running of the Grade 2 Demoiselle. 10 points for the KYO will be heading to the winner, so while it’s not the biggest prep for the race, we all know that a few points could mean the difference between running in the race or sitting on the also eligible list. There will be eight horses going to post for the race, and that includes three horses that ran in BC races last month. In 2023, the Demoiselle was won by Reflex Action, for D J C Racing Stables. She would has not won another race since but has still been running at the graded level. If you think you can get her back to the winner’s circle, she’s on the auction block on the 15th with a $200.00 minimum bid. Let’s take a look at our runners for this year’s race!

1- Lucille (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Draws the assignment of trying to win the race two years in a row, and three times total for her trainer. Broke her maiden in August at SAR, setting off a three race win streak that would late include the $750.000 KD Juvenile Fillies as well as the Grade 2 Jessamine. That got her into the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, but it did not go well there. Fresh off of that, she returns to the dirt for the first time since that August win.

2- Stefania (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Geroux)- Ran about six weeks ago at PRX, and broke her maiden in that race, which was her third career start. She is being thrust into this race, which might seem like a pretty big jump, but this trainer never shies away from that. Has no public mile works to look at, to try and compare her to the others, and the maiden win “only” got an 87 SRF, for whatever that’s worth.

3- Us Against The World (Mb Stables, ridden by R L Moore)- At the beginning of August, she broke her maiden at SAR, and was sent stake racing right after it. Appearances in the Grade 1 Spinaway and the $200.000 FL Sire Stakes- Susan would not go well for her, and she would be dropped into a $17.000 allowance at FL last month. She won that, so now she will again get a chance at this level. This will also be her first time running long.

4- Anybodys Authority (Nakamura Stables, ridden by A A Gallardo)- Here’s another horse that returns to the main track after running in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. Like Lucille, the BC was a disappointment. However, unlike that one, the Jessamine was not a particularly strong race for Anybodys Authority, so we can see why she is being moved to the dirt. She looks like a horse that is trying to find her best spot, in terms of racing conditions.

5- Mazula School (Rock Creek, ridden by F Prat)- About six weeks ago, Rock Creek put Mazula School into an $11.000 maiden claimer. Now, he’s entered her into this Grade 2. So, what has changed for the filly? Well, she did win that race, but other than that no one really knows. She has not had a public work since then, so it makes it hard for us to have the same leap of faith with her that the trainer does. We’ll have to wait until race day.

6- Melting Shadows (Jokerjoes, ridden by A A Reyes)- This filly is off to a fast start in her career with wins in four of her first six races. This includes the $200.000 Seeking The Ante at SAR in August, as well as the Grade 3 Mazarine BC Stakes last month from WO. Unfortunately, in between those races, she was a non factor in the Grade 1 Frizette to spoil and BC dreams she may have had. Long works will not wow you, but she knows how to bring it on race day.

7- Luminous Gold (Alydar Stables, ridden by D Van Dyke)- This is the third horse in the field that ran in the BC, and for Luminous Gold that was in the BC Juvenile Fillies, and not the version on the turf. She ran second in that race, after being a competitive third in the Frizette before that. Still, that was not enough to keep her with prior trainer Fractious, who sold her for $500.000 in mid-November. This will be her first appearance in the silks of Alydar Stables, and the trainer is obviously thrilled to have her.

8- Zero Out (Sccj Stables, ridden by A R Rodriguez)- A little more lightly raced thus far in her career than most of her competitors here, but she is clearly off to a great start. After getting her debut out of the way, Zero Out made a trip to ALB and broke her maiden there, and a month later, she ran in an allowance at PRX. She would take that as well, putting her at 2-out-of-3 for her career, and now the trainer wants to see what she can do against much stronger competition. She does her best running late, so be looking for her in the stretch.

Prediction: 7-6-1-8

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES