TC of America – Grade II
6 1/2 Furlongs Dirt Graded Stake Purse $400.00 Filles & Mares Three-Year-Olds & Upward. At KEE

TC of America brings us a traditional meeting of youth versus age in a 6 1/2 furlong test on dirt of sprint ability between fillies and mares as young as three years old and as old as eight. To me, it looks likes youth embodied in Honey has the slightest of edges over age represented by the oldest horse in the race, Lady Sammyantha. And then there is one of the very youngest in the field, Monarchy, that I see as the biggest threat to the top two.  

Here’s the TC of America handicap:

Horse                                  Owner                               Odds  SRF

Honey                                 Martyparty                          *8-5       94

Lady Sammyantha              The Sidley Stud                 9-5        97

Monarchy                           Mo Mentum Farm                2-1        97

Complicated Crazy             TwinTowersRacing              4-1        97

Sitting Bulls Champ           Mb Stables                          3-1        98

Santorini                            Mb Stables                          6-1        97

Cappelletti                          D J C Racing Stables          8-1        96

Cold At Knight                    Our Athletes                        4-1        95

Thanks Mucho                    Mo Mentum Farm              10-1       99

Lilahs Empire                     Royalty Stables                 15-1        97

Illusionary State                 Nakamura Stables            20-1        96

Kailua Princess                  Nakamura Stables            30-1        95

1  Santorini                  Mb Stables               97

After a five-month layoff, Riggins Racing sold Santorini for $50.00, and his new owners got an impressive deep close fourth out of her. Not bad for a lass coming off a long layoff. This is the lass that won the Grade I Frizette and went third in the Grade I BC Juvenile Fillies missing by only a neck. The only problem I see with her is the distance is likely too short.

2  Honey                   Martyparty                  94

Here is the youth. Four-year-old Honey seems to have edged ahead in critical form. Her performance in the Grade I Ballerina was disappointing, but beyond that she has been extraordinary, winning three of her last four; she won the Grade II Honorable Miss Handicap at SAR and the Grade III Whimsical Stakes at WO and placed second in the Grade II Bed o Roses at SAR recently.

3   Lady Sammyantha                    The Sidley Stud                97

Here is the age. Lady Sammyantha is now eight years old, and this is her sixtieth race. She comes here off a win in the Gade III Seaway Stakes at WO, plus third in the Chicago Stakes at CD and a victory in the Gade I Vinery Madison looking just as fresh as ever and promising to make this a very close race.

4   Cold At Knight                    Our Athletes                  95

Cold At Knight won the $110.00 Stonehedge Sophomore Fillies at TAM followed by a victory in the Grade II Eight Belles at CD, then things went wrong and she ran up the track in the Grade III Maxfield Stakes and the Grade I Test, mind you the Test was such a challenging race she earned a 95 SRF in defeat.                                    

5      Lilahs Empire              Royalty Stables             95

Lilahs Empire was a surprise fourth in the seven-furlong Grade I Ballerina last out at SAR which makes her a longshot hopeful for this race.

6   Cappelletti              D J C Racing Stables                 96

Cappelletti is in great form for distance races, but in her life, she has not seen a race this short since her debut, so we can see her second in the Grade III Pines Stakes at one mile and third in the Grade III MTH Oaks at 1 1/16 miles always close to the lead so maybe she can keep up with the sprinters.

7   Illusionary State              Nakamura Stables                     97

Illusionary State blew out for this with a win in a six-furlong allowance race at SAR by a cruising two lengths which followed an unexpected second in the Grade II Great Lady M Stakes at LA. If nothing else, it was great fun watching odds move from 6-5 favourite to over 1,000-1 and back down to odds on 4-5.

8   Monarchy                Mo Mentum Farm  `             97

Monarchy won her first seven races, including the Grade I KY Oaks, the pinnacle of three-year-old filly racing. Then, after winning the Grade III DEL Oaks, the streak ended in the $500.00 WO Oaks Stakes. She has lost two more since then, but I wouldn’t count her out. Her most recent loss lets us know she is still dangerous with a courageous closing fourth in the Grade III Princess Rooney at GP.

9   Sitting Bulls Champ                    Mb Stables              98

Sitting Bulls Champ comes here off a courageous third in the Grade I KD Ladies Sprint, a $1,750.00 turf sprint, and that came after wins in the Grade II Great Lady M Stakes and the $100.00 Diana Stakes, both on dirt.

10   Thanks Mucho                          Mo Mentum Farm                99     

Thanks Mucho comes into this race with first a win in the $200.00 Johnstone Mile at seven furlongs (?) followed by a seven furlong second in the Grade III Princess Rooney at GP, so it looks like she is adjusting well to returning to sprint racing and could be a threat.

11   Complicated Crazy                       TwinTowersRacing             97      

Complicated Crazy has been quietly improving her sprint game and comes to this race with back-to-back wins in PID stakes races, the $100.00 Satin and Lace Stakes and the Grade II PID Masters Stakes. She looks to be headed for a big performance.                                   

12   Kailua Princess                        Nakamura Stables              93

With five wins out of eleven starts, Kailua Princess has only been in one stakes race, but she comes here with back-to-back wins in overnighters in BTP and MTH, so as good as any time to get serious about racing.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES