The Eight Belles – GII
5/3/19
CD Race 4 7F – Dirt
Purse $250.000
Three Year Olds Fillies

A field of eleven three year old filly sprinters have been entered for this years running of the grade two Eight Belles here at Churchill Downs. Most of these have been running on the KY Oaks trail and either didn’t earn enough points for the race or are just better over a sprint. Let’s take a look at the field.

1. Hollywood Short (8-1-0-2 $70.560), trained by Estero Farms

The first runner in the field right here is one of those who has been running on the Oaks trail and she just has not had much success there. Her only career win was in a six furlong maiden special weight against New York breds at Finger Lakes. I do think she is better around one turn but I’m not sure if she is good enough to win or not.

2. Elegant (9-2-4-1 $823.920), trained by Mb Stables

Now here is a filly who could have been in the Oaks field but her trainer opted to run others in that race. She has been running right there in grade ones all throughout her career and she is definitely capable of winning one. She looks like the toughest one in the field to me and she should be very tough.

3. Unprecedented (5-1-0-2 $40.920), trained by South Beach Racing

This next filly in the field is going to be making her first start for her new trainer after she was bough for eighty bucks in mid April. Before that she had just ran third in an allowance race at Tampa Bay. This just seems like to big of a jump up in class for her and I don’t see her having much of a chance.

4. Sweet Catomine (7-4-0-0 $183.060), trained by Fractious

Well here is the first one we come across for trainer Fractious in the field and she is coming into this race off of a win in the California bred Evening Jewel Stakes. She ran a big race that day but that was against a lot less competition. She is a good horse I think but she will have to run huge to win.

5. Evening Star (6-2-1-1 $116.000), trained by Fractious

The second one for Fractious right here and this filly is also one of those that has been on the Oaks trail. She did not run good at all last out in the grade two Gazelle but that was a route race and her out before that she ran second in the grade two Davona Dale which was a one turn mile. I think the cutback to one turn will help her out a lot

6. Summertime (8-2-2-3 $218.300), trained by D J C Racing Stables

Also another one that is coming out of Oaks preps and she won the Silverbulletday earlier this year at Fair Grounds. She had been running good until her last race which was over a mile and a sixteenth. I do think that she is going to be better around one turn and I think she has a chance in this spot.

7. Sharp Suit (8-3-2-0 $261.600), trained by Rampage Stable

Now here is one who really intrigues me because I think she is finally back to a distance she prefers more than she has been running at. She won a grade two last year going six furlongs and then had been routed most races with not a lot of success. If she can run like her last race with this field she will be tough to beat.

8. Blazing By (10-5-0-2 $497.200), trained by Mb Stables

And now the second runner in here for Mb Stables and this filly was also on the Oaks trail and had been running pretty good. If you look back to her win in the grade three Forward Gal over this same distance you have to know she will be tough in here. Her and her stablemate could run first and second in here.

9. Huzza (9-3-2-0 $264.600), trained by John Henry

The next filly right here is a grade two winner and that graded stakes race that she won was the grade two Adirondack last year at Saratoga. Her sprint form is very nice other than her last start which was way back about three months ago. If she is ready to run off of the layoff she will have an alright chance I think.

10. Strawberry Snow (5-2-2-1 $96.300), trained by Our Athletes

Here is the most consistent filly in the race as she has never ran out of the top three in her career. She has been beating Florida breds in her last two and one of them was a stake in her last start. She is very consistent but this a very big jump up in class and I don’t know if she is good enough to handle it.

11. Dont Panic (7-3-1-0 $125.000), trained by Gdp Inc

And the final runner in the field right here is a pretty good Louisiana bred filly. She won a Louisiana bred stakes race two back and she just ran a not so great sixth in the grade one Ashland. I do think that she is better sprinting but I am just not sure if she is good enough either.

Summary

A nice field for sure for this years Eight Belles no doubt and I think that Mb Stables has the top two runners in this field. Both of his just look very tough and both of them will be tough to beat for sure. It will be a good race I think and a couple different runners could win. Good luck to all in the field.

2-8-6-7

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES