The HOU Ladies Classic – GIII
HOU Race 7 1 1/16M – Dirt
Purse $300.000
Four Year Olds and Up Fillies and Mares

Eight fillies and mares are coming to Sam Houston for this years Houston Ladies Classic over a mile and sixteenth on the dirt. This race has had some very good runners use it as a kickstart for their campaign so I’m not surprised that this race has this much quality in it. Let’s take a look at the field.

1. Queenwood (23-10-2-2 $1630.190), trained by Smokey Stover

A graded stakes winning mare right here with five graded stakes wins to her name and her biggest one was definitely the grade one Acorn as a three year old. She won the grade two Chilukki at Churchill last time with a ferocious closing kick in the stretch. She is versatile but her best races are when she comes from behind.

2. Diminuendo (17-2-4-4 $713.240), trained by Blushing Meadows

This filly right here pretty much danced all the dances least year with all of the best fillies and mares in the game and held her own most of the time. She hasn’t ran very good in her last two starts but one was in the Breeders Cup Distaff and one was in a grade one on the turf. She will have to run a big race to have a shot.

3. Osmium (19-8-1-5 $1460.380), trained by D J C Racing Stables

Another outstanding race mare right here who also has five graded stakes wins to her name and her biggest one was in the grade one Beldame. Her last start was in the Breeders Cup Distaff where she ran a very respectable fourth. She is a very classy mare and I think she has a very good shot in this spot.

4. Too Much Wisdom (14-7-4-0 $329.480), trained by Mb Stables

Now here we have a filly who is making a jump up in class of the field because she has never faced a field as tough as this one in her career. She did win the grade three Rampart last out at Gulfstream pretty nicely but she is going to have to improve from the race to have a chance to win here.

5. Jinxed Queen (13-8-1-1 $1055.900), trained by Gdp Inc

Another grade one winner in the field and all around nice filly is this runner right here. She won two grade ones in a row during her campaign last year and both of those were at Saratoga. She hasn’t ran since an eighth place finish in the Breeders Cup Distaff but I think where will be ready to go in here.

6. Millinneal (16-6-0-2 $516.520), trained by Mb Stables

The second runner that is coming from the Mb Stables barn is this filly right here who is coming into this race off of a win in the grade two Fall City Handicap at Churchill Downs last out. That was what I think could be a breakout performance for her and I think she will improve off of that race with every start.

7. Nice Tactical Speed (9-4-0-0 $291.490), trained by Maxmillion Farm

Once more we come across a graded stakes winner in this field and this filly has two graded stakes wins on her resume. She won the grade three Indiana Oaks and she also won the grade three Turnback The Alarm Handicap last out. She is a very nice filly but will have to run a career best in this spot to win.

8. Misty Firefox (13-7-0-1 $1359.480), trained by Crocker Ggs

Here we have last years Kentucky Oaks winner and a multiple graded stakes winner. She also won the Woodbine Oaks but ever since that race she hasn’t seemed to be the same filly at all. She ran last in the Breeders Cup Distaff and third in the grade three Rampart last time. She will need to run a big big race to win.

Summary

This race is so stacked from top to bottom. Every single filly and mare in here is a graded stakes winner and every single one of them has a legitimate chance to win this race. My top pick is going to be Osmium because I think she is the best out of all of them in this field. Good luck to all in this race.

3-1-5-6

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES