The 17th Running of the G1 Natalma Stakes
Saturday, September 17, 2022
WO Race #3 $500.000
2YO F 120 Lbs 1 Turf
G1 BC JUVENILE FILLIES TURF AUTO-QUALIFIER
Course Record-1:31.72 (Cleveland Browns-2012)
Stakes Record-1:33.35 (Cinis-2016)
A huge day of racing north of the border on Saturday brings us the G1 Natalma for juvenile filly turfers. The winner of this $500.000 battle royale will earn an automatic birth in November’s G1 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. The gate is full with twelve entrants, as well as a lone also-eligible in Nevada Jess, but this is a lightly raced group as a whole. We do have two stakes winners, To Sheila and Loud Mouth; however, Class Four is the only other runner to defeat winners thus far. Let’s meet the field:
#1 Class Four (Chili King Stables/M. Franco): Filly won on unveiling, but didn’t win again until her two-turn and turf bow just last month. Juvenile wins at SAR are never easy, and, as one of three who have beaten winners, she demands respect here. Rail draw should allow her to save ground, but she’ll have to hope for clear sailing when the money is on the line.
#2 Fight To Love (Williams9/L. Saez): Brought a winning bid of $92.860 in Sunday’s portion of the auction and looks to pay big, big dividends for the new barn in this spot. Took a big money MSW at CD and earned black-type with a runner-up effort in the FT Debutante. All four races have been over the main track, so hard to predict how she’ll act on the lawn. She’s been fairly close to the pace in every race, so expect her to get a really good trip from this draw.
#3 So Classy (Asgar/Ru. Silvera): Defeated state-bred maidens here in June before taking on stakes foes in the last two. Earned a placing in the first overnight try, but got untracked too late in her latest. The most recent start is her only effort on the lawn and while she was only beaten a length, the winner returns in this one as well. Could be riding the rail just behind the stalkers and may appreciate the stertch-out to a mile.
#4 Sinister City (The Freakshow/S. Elliott): Came from well back in TUP April debut to break her maiden before making a similar run to gain show honors three weeks ago at SAR. Should be fitter for this, but she’s never even been six furlongs prior to this assignment. Trainer has some positive momentum after a strong showing at the DMR meet and this lass appears to be working lights out. Intriguing prospect on the stretch out.
#5 To Sheila (South Shore Stables/A. Cedillo): Runner lit up the tote in taking the Boltons Landing in her grass debut. She does come back rather quick for this, but the majority of these are coming back on less than four weeks of prep so it could be a moot point. Sprint form shows that she comes with her run after settling into stride from around midpack, but wouldn’t be surprised to see her laying a bit closer for this one.
#6 Loud Mouth (TwinTowersRacing/E. Jaramillo): The only runner carrying a two-race winning streak into this, lass won here going 6.5 to claim her first stake. She appears most likely to sit a two wide trip in the tracking group as the majority of runners drawn inside of her don’t have her natural speed. Not sure how much confidence the one-mile drill inspires, but she is a stake winner and have to think that wasn’t her best exercise.
#7 Thermodynamics (Team 7 Illusions/T. Gaffalione): Our second entrant with no turf experience included in her four starts, this one has been much-improved in her last two starts. Took a CD MSW before getting black type in the Sorrento where she came home a bit one-paced. The September 11th move looks to be within striking range of the best in this group and have to take the surface switch seriously with the improved dirt results.
#8 Mine Tonight (Fractious/J.C. Ferrer): Debuted here in June on the dirt before taking a SAR MSW on the grass. Like the four horse here, she is utilizing the two sprints to a route angle; however, she has shown more early foot than that runner going shorter. She’s kept busy in the mornings since the victory and should come in here ready to roll.
#9 Broadway Lady (Arindel/J.R. Velazquez): Debuted against FL-breds before showing improvement in maiden-breaking second start. Made all of the running in that 8.5f effort and that time stacks up pretty well against anything posted by anyone in the division. Faces winners for the first time here, but she does have a win going long on the turf. We could be looking at the BC favorite with a victory here.
#10 Sweet Feet (Mb Stables/Mario Gutierrez): Could not duplicate the MSW run when seventh and beaten four lengths in last month’s Bolton Landing. Both starts on the lawn have seen her go forward from an outer-half draw, but she may be able to ration that speed a little bit here even though she is drawn wide again. The mile work on August 29 looks like a starting point type of move, and definitely feel that she will outrun that drill.
#11 Springs Eternal (Aarons Hosses/J. Dominguez): One of only three in here with a routing win on the grass, this lass took a CA-bred MSW at the recently concluded DMR meet with a strong late rally. While the SRF figure came back a little light, horses don’t win by two lengths very often in our game. Most recent drill at CD says she’s still getting better, just needs to get the right trip to produce her best to have a chance here.
#12 Spun Around (Mb Stables/R.M. Hernandez): Broke her maiden on April 1 and has been fed a steady diet of stakes-types in all four races since. She’s multiple-stakes and graded placed on the main track, so you know there had to be a decision made about what surface she stands the best chance on. The fact that she turns up here tells us that those turf works are all the conditioner needed to see. Doesn’t catch a break with this draw, but this one feels like she could be any kind.
Final Analysis: 9-1-12-5 is how we see it, but the confidence wanes a bit after we get past the top selection in the G1 Natalma. Good luck to everyone involved!
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES
