Honeymoon Stakes (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
SA- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
May 30, 2020
The Honeymoon Stakes will run with a small field once again this year, as only a field of five will contest the 16th edition of the race. It is a stake that first appeared at HOL in 2005, and was run there until 2014 when that track was shut down, moving the stake here to SA. The purse has ranged from $150.000 to $200.000 in its history, giving it a low profile, overall. Last year, Mb Stables took home the win with Lit Up By The French. It would be the last race that she would win and she has since been retired. A quick look at this race shows a very unheralded field overall, but that’s not to say there is not potential to be great amongst these fillies. Let’s take a closer look at them!
#1- Ashen Angel (Ezzz Racing, ridden by M E Smith)- Starting on the rail, this filly has been very good lately running this distance on the grass, and will now see if she can do well at this level. It is to her benefit that this is a small field, and without a headliner in this crowd, I see no reason why she cannot be successful. So far, it’s just been optional claimers that she has been winning at, and the SRF’s do not jump out at you, but I think she is in a spot where she is going to step up and impress.
#2- Goblin Judge (Wood Duck Stable, ridden by U Rispoli)- The trainer will be looking for their first graded win with this filly that they picked up cheaply in the December auction. Just $8.960 was all it took to get her from Mb Stables, and she has run well in her three starts since, with one victory. The PA-bred has shown a liking to coming from off the pace, and was very impressive in the stretch in her last start, getting up for third in the Grade 2 Edgewood at CD.
#3- Yuhwa (Aer Stables, ridden by G Franco)- This filly by Worst Case Scenario has managed one win over her five career starts, but did make her graded debut at the beginning last month. That came in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes, and she ran third. Has not been worked publicly in about six weeks, but what does show points her to being one of the top threats in this field. It;s been a great year for the trainer, and this may be a win for him as well.
#4- Scatter (Mb Stables, ridden by E Maldonado)- Only has made one start, and that was at four furlongs three months ago at RIL, where she was fifth of five. Normally, I would joke here and wonder if the trainer accidentally entered the wrong horse, but not with Mb Stables. Her works do not excite me, but something is motivating the trainer to make this entry. I’ll wait to see her perform on the track, first.
#5- Mrs Nussbaums Credit (Arindel, ridden by Ru Fuentes)- The Niagra filly broke her maiden in her last start, which was the seventh of her career. Off of that, she is going to change everything up, and run on the grass for the first time while going long for just the second time! She has no public turf works, so hard to make a decision on how that may go.
Prediction: 1-3-2-5
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
