The 17th Running of the G2 Demoiselle
December 4, 2021 12:40
AQU Race #2 $250.000 11/8 Dirt
2YO Fillies 120 Lbs
Track Record-1:46.83 (Expressly-2013)
Stakes Record-1:48.34 (Disney Music-2015)
Two year-old fillies will be asked to go 11/8 on the dirt for the first time in the 17th running of the $250.000 G2 Demoiselle at AQU. As part of the early portion of the KYO prep season, qualifying points will be awarded on a 10-4-2-1 basis for the top four finishers. Sixteen different trainers have their names etched on the trophy for this event; however no name is listed more than once. J.R. Velazquez (2005, 2016, 2017, 2018) has booted-home four winners to lead the HRP jockey colony. The G2 Demoiselle will be the first time these lasses will be asked to go this far so it will be interesting to see which of the ten that will line the gate will be up to the task.
Leading the field from an accomplishment standpoint are two stakes winners, Eggs and Directors Chair. They are joined by Lemrun, Swiss Skydiver, and Drilldownfortruth who have hit the board in stakes attempts. The race, ultimately, will come down to which filly will handle the 9-furlongs the best so let’s take a look at each of the ten fillies who will compete in the G2 Demoiselle on Saturday:
#1 Heightened Exposure (Mb Stables/G. Saez): Three turf tries, with two wins, to begin her career, but two very solid dirt works gave the conditioner all of the confidence needed to spot her here. Draws the rail for this one, but she has shown a propensity to drop to the back of the pack and make one run in her two route tries. If the works can be trusted and the form translates, she should have every opportunity to run by them all down the lane.
#2 Lemrun (Fractious/D. Moran): Should keep the filly to her inside company early on if she employs the tactics from her last five starts as she has been well off of the pace. First four stakes efforts saw her just come up a length or less short from taking the top prize, but threw a clunker last month in the BC. Unlike the rail horse, she has proven form on the dirt and that may give her a slight edge over that rival for this. May take her a while to get rolling, but think she’ll be right there when the money is on the line.
#3 Swiss Skydiver (Crocker Ggs/R.M. Hernandez): Encouraging first route try when she just missed in a CD stakes back on Halloween. Has shown the ability to lay fairly close and still finish so she must be respected from a pace standpoint. Her two wins were both at the Spa over the summer, so there’s no doubting her quality. If she gets any kind of improvement in this second attempt at routing, she could definitely best this group.
#4 Peppermint Diamonds (Allinthegate/J. Alvarado): 2-2 at TUP to start her career, but the water gets deeper in this. The wins came almost seven months apart, so she has every reason to show improvement in this spot. First two attempts saw her right up on the pace going much shorter so expect her to be running with the lead group early. Still, she’s going almost a half mile further than she’s ever been asked and that coupled with the quality of the field may be a bit too much at this point in her promising career. Watching in this spot.
#5 Eggz (Iolaus Racing/L. Saez): No doubting her ability in the NY-bred ranks as she took the most recent stake at that level in her latest try. That effort came over a muddy BEL surface and was her first attempt at going a route of ground, but no questioning her talent. Latest work says she should be ready to fire and she has enough early foot to be within striking distance when the real running begins. Taking a step-up the class ladder, but think she gets a piece of the pie.
#6 Surrey (Smokey Stover/K. Carmouche): Minus the BEL attempt in the mud, she has yet to run a bad race. Her two wins came right up on the pace, but she showed some variety to her game when she dropped back in the G1 before finishing a closing 5th while making-up three lengths through the lane. If she can stay closer to the pace and still show that same finishing punch, she could be dangerous in this spot. Yet another who is in with a chance to get her name on the leaderboard.
#7 Ask Forfree Delivery (Arindel/M. Franco): Two wins against PA-bred company in her last two efforts and she showed speed and grit in both. Different ballgame and a tricky post for this, but her worktab is second to none in here. Sometimes horses have a knack for getting to the wire and she sort of feels like that kind of filly. She may not run a step, but feels like a good opportunity to make some money with her on top.
#8 Drilldownfortruth (TwinTowersRacing/M.J. Sanchez): Had a two race winning streak snapped in her latest, but ran well when 2nd in a local prep for this. Has done most of her prepping for this on the farm as there’s only a single published workout since that latest effort. From this post, could see her sitting a bit further back than she was last time and not sure that benefits her against this group. Not doubting her talent, but just don’t like the way the race shapes-up for her.
#9 Steel Express (Maxmillion Farm/D. Cohen): Broke her maiden on the grass in her latest effort, but the 6f dirt drill says she has talent on this surface as well. Faded at CD when setting the pace going 8.5, but has since added Lasix to her regimen so maybe that was the missing link. Still, tough to see her besting this group in what would be her first win on a dirt surface.
#10 Directors Chair (Nakamura Stables/J.K. Court): Really hard to find any holes in this gal’s game. Took a MTH stake before back-to-back runner-up efforts in G1’s, including last month’s BC. Plenty of early foot to be forwardly placed and the lack of any real “burners” inside of her may negate any perceived drawbacks with this wide gate. She’s the most likely winner, but going with a gut feeling that she gets nipped again….but, I’ve been wrong before.
Final Analysis: 7-10-3-5 in a G2 Demoiselle that could go in literally any direction. Good luck to all of the participants!
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES
