The Honeybee (KYO) (Grade 3)- $750.000
OP- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
March 1, 2026
Like the Busher up at AQU, the Honeybee is also a fifty point race for the KYO, but it’s $750.000 purse is nearly four times more than what is seen up north. Therefore, it should not be a surprise that has attracted a stronger field than the Busher. We’ll have nine taking part in the race, which includes two of the top seven on the KYO point leaderboard. We had a great field for the Honeybee last year, as Solilioquy Sunset would, at the time, win her sixth race in seven starts. She defeated Confident Elegance in the race, who was on a similar hot streak and both of them would be seen as the better choices for the KYO. Soliloquy Sunset, trained by Nakamura Stables, remains active and is still running well today. Let’s take a look at our field for this year’s race!
1- Three Sixes (Pan Farms, ridden by R Bejarano)- We get right to it as far as looking at our top contenders, as Three Sixes is presently fourth on the KYO leaderboard. To get there, she has won three of her last four, including right here in the $300.000 Martha Washington last month. In her start prior, she won the Grade 2 Golden Rod. She did not take part in the BC, as she took a little bit to break her maiden, but once she figured out how to win, she has done so with regularity. Don’t worry when she’s at the back early, because that’s exactly where this late closer wants to be.
2- Unfinished Symphony (Luz International, ridden by P Lopez)- She will head to the track for the first time as a three year old, something that is a little surprising based on how well she ran last year. Luz International is being patient, and probably wanted to make sure everything was okay with her after running eighth in the BC Juvenile Fillies. To get there, she won the Grade 1 Alcibiades earlier in that same month. There is not much in terms of public works with her, but it doesn’t appear as though they have been going in the wrong direction. Giving her this rest may have simply been the plan, and now it’s time to unleash on her on the competition. Presently has 10 KYO points.
3- Thereaplaceinfrance (Nakamura Stables, ridden by I Castillo)- The trainer looks to make it two in a row in the Honeybee, and the filly did not necessarily run terribly in the Martha Washington last month. She set the fractions in the race, and looked to take it all the way to the finish, but found herself in a four-way photo for show and would be fifth. She’ll be glad not to start from the outside this time like she did in the Martha Washington, and like she has done in four of her last six starts. Wants to build on her 3 KYO points.
4- Dreambits (Mb Stables, ridden by R Santana Jr)- Another thing this time of year brings us is waiting to see which horses emerge as the best Mb Stables contenders. Right now, Dreambits is seventh on the KYO leaderboard, and the top filly in the stable right now. To get there, Dreambits won the Grade 3 Forward Gal Stakes at GP last month and was a respectable fourth in the Grade 2 Starlet at LA right before that. Once she got her debut race out of the way, she has always been within a length of the winner at the end. Likely to be on or near the lead early with R Santana Jr looking over his shoulder in the stretch for Three Sixes.
5- Lady Lobo (Riggins Racing, ridden by J R Velazquez)- As a two year old, she was looking like she might be one of the top contenders for the KYO, winning both the Adirondack and the Spinaway during the summer at SAR. Then, she would be sold, with Fractious making another $1,125.000 with the purchase and Riggins Racing hoping to keep her momentum rolling. She has yet to earn a penny for Riggins, though there is nothing really wrong with running sixth in the BC Juvenile Fillies. But then, finishing in that spot again in the Martha Washington was underwhelming though she was not beaten by much. Needs a strong showing here to prove she is not being passed by. Riggins has two in the top 15 of the KYO leaderboard, but Lady Lobo is not one of them.
6- Bank Balance (Williams9, ridden by J M Gutierrez)- A win by Bank Balance here would certainly be a Cinderella story. The filly has been able to win one out of three, so there is nothing wrong with her in that regard, but the win was at MNR in her second start, and even after that, she was not moved away from the free track. Placed second in a LRL optional claimer in mid-January. Now, here we are. She has no public mile works, and her six furlongs are a half second to a full second slower than most in here. Whatever got her here is behind the scenes for the trainer, and we’ll all have to see it for the first time here.
7- Fire Missile (Mb Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- While this filly does work very well at a mile, she is going to have to start getting it done on the track, especially in this barn, if she wants to be a part of the KYO. Fire Missile has one win over five starts, but in every other outing she has failed to hit the board. Running fifth in the Grade 2 Golden Rod got her a point on the leaderboard, but that’s where the good news ends. Just two weeks ago, she was lethargic in the Grade 2 Alexandra Stakes at FG, so perhaps the quick turnaround means that the trainer is confident that was a fluke.
8- Loyd (Royalty Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- When Fire Missile was running in the Alexandra at FG on Valentine’s Day, Loyd was a part of the undercard, running in an N1X allowance. She did not perform, placing sixth and missing by three lengths. It was just her third start, and first after breaking her maiden at SUN. Everything about this filly’s works say that she should be running in KYO preps but Royalty Stables is going to have to figure out how to unleash her ability on the track in a race. It’s only been two weeks, but even though the KYO is in two months, time is not necessarily on her side.
9- Woman On The Moon (Arindel, ridden by D E Centeno)- This is the fourth horse in the race that also took part in the Martha Washington here last month. She was a part of that four way photo for show, and came out on top with it, which moved her KYO point total to seven. Woman On The Moon had a strong two year old season, running fourth in the Spinaway, then later on winning the $250.000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, for ON-breds at WO. We’ve seen her use both a front running and a late closing tactic in her last three starts, so we don’t know what to expect there. If the closing tactic is used, she’ll want to at least stay ahead of Three Sixes.
Prediction: 1-4-9-8
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES