April 4, 2016
Some very good fillies and mares lined up Sunday afternoon for the Grade II Top Flight Handicap but the two with the least experience in stakes company completed the exacta as Charming Face, second last time in the HOU Ladies Classic, came on to score as one of the choices from a tough Kayce, who ran amazing at more than 87-1. For the winner, a daughter of multiple Grade I winner Charming Behrens, she was already Grade I placed but had never broken through for a big win and can now boast a fifth career win and earnings of more than $400.000 for an owner who knows how to bring a filly to peak performance.
There was no doubt as to who the early leader in the Top Flight would be as Kayce (87.10) burst from the gate to take the advantage at huge odds and she was able to get to down to the rail and save ground in front of rail starter Charming Face (2.65). Shadow Of A Doubt (2.15) sat a nice trip outside around the first turn as the field strung itself out and the two leaders established a clear margin into the backstretch. An opening split of 48.50 was certainly moderate enough for the longshot leader and everyone just lopping along, there was only minor movement from the backfield through six-furlongs in tepid 1:12.19. But around the far turn, Kayce drifted well off the rail into almost the four-path and that allowed Charming Face to come with an inside run and while she did not explode like a good horse should, she was able to wear down the longshot just outside the 1/16th pole en route to a win by nearly a length. Kayce did exceptionally well to hold on for second after setting the splits, with Shadow Of A Doubt coming back on third ahead of a lackluster Devil Wears Prada (16.00) inside and a dismal Unsecured (*0.90) outside, as the latter failed to show anything at odds-on.
For the second straight year, owner Mb Stables brought a four-year-old filly to the Grade II Top Flight and for the second straight year, came away with a sharp victory as Charming Face finally broke through for the Graded Stakes score she has been looking for all of her career. Now she can look towards a race like the Grade II Ruffian Handicap or the Grade III Allaire Distaff as a stepping stone to bigger events over the Summer, with the understanding that she is slowly starting to find herself in a division lacking a real leader.
Congratulations goes out to owner Mb Stables and their four-year-old filly Charming Face, a powerful late winner of the Grade II Top Flight Handicap at AQU!
Prediction Unsecured / Charming Face / Shadow Of A Doubt
Winner Charming Face
Four-year-old bay filly
Charming Behrens-Butter Face (Cruzn For Fame)
Owner Mb Stables
Time 48.50, 1:12.19, 1:36.40, 1:48.77
Overall
Charming Face 2.65 sat patiently, inside run, up in time
Kayce 87.10 set modest pace, caught in final furlong
Shadow Of A Doubt 2.15 brief speed, dropped back, came on again
Devil Wears Prada 16.00 no threat
Unsecured *0.90 outrun
Triple T Racing 🙂
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
