The Suwannee River (Grade 3)- $100.000 Purse
GP- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
February 6, 2021
On Saturday, a field of seven will be heading to the starting gate for the 18th running of the Suwannee River, a grade three which has seen its purse get cut for this year. The race did originate as a $100.000 race, but saw the purse increase to $150.000, which where it had been through last year. This is a typical field size for the race, so that cut has not seemed to have much of an impact. About 10 years ago, Barcelona Farms had quite a run in this stake, winning it four straight years, from 2009 to 2012. He can thank Valibert for two of those wins. More recently, Low Key Desires won the race, doing so for Aer Stables. Let’s see who will add their name to that list this year!
#1- Dovetail (Hunterman Stables, ridden by J Alvarado)- The 26-race veteran did not get his 2021 off to a good start three weeks ago out at SA in the Grade 3 Megahertz, placing sixth of nine with a rather flat looking race line. It was his graded debut, however, so maybe the learning experience at this level is all she will need. Has been a part of the exacta 14 times over her career.
#2- Goblin Judge (Wood Duck Stable, ridden by P Lopez)- Has turned into an excellent $8.960 auction purchase from December 2019 with a successful 2020 being highlighted by capturing the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes at AP last August. The trainer hoped she would build on that even further, but has not gotten the results desired. Was flat in her last race, the Grade 3 Frankel, which is concerning since the conditions of that race and this one are identical.
#3- Admire Beauty (Arindel, ridden by J L Ortiz)- This one was starting to become a regular in the claiming ranks before Arindel picked her up for $32.000. Admire Beauty has taken a liking to her new barn, winning two of her three races, and none of them were a claimer. Instead, she won an allowance before her last win, the $75.000 Tropical Park Oaks. Can she now have success in the graded ranks? Time will tell!
#4- Forty Chai (Estero Farms, ridden by C J Lanerie)- She is the most well known filly in this race, having run third in the BEL Oaks last year. That set her up to run in the BC Fillies and Mares Turf, though it would not end well for her. She has raced once since, and was much better in the Grade 1 American Oaks on the day after Christmas, placing third. Forty Chai is the class of the field, and if she shows up and runs her race, then this should be her race to win.
#5- Amaris (First Street Stables, ridden by J J Castellano)- The Point Of Entry filly had a good 2020, winning three of nine starts, hitting the board in eight of them, and earning a check in all nine. You have to go back to September 2019 to find the last time that Amaris did not get a check for her trainer. A couple graded attempts have seen her run second, and she could get that again here Saturday, if not one better.
#6- Brevia (BomBay Stables, ridden by K Kimura)- This looks like the type of horse that will make sure everyone is ready to run early, since she likes getting out to the lead. Only recently has she been running long, but she has been able to carry her speed well. That includes over twelve furlongs in the Grade 3 Dowager last year, so she will be able to do that again. She meets a couple tough foes here, and the Dowager was not exactly stacked.
#7- Classic Princess (Linderman Prairie, ridden by J Rosario)- The trainer hopes to score their first graded win with this excellent claim from April 2020, when just $3.500 saw her switch hands. The filly then fared well in allowances and optional claimers before pulling off the win in the CC Tiara last December. That’s been her only stake attempt thus far, but she has certainly earned the chance.
Prediction: 4-5-1-6
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
