The Derby City Distaff (Grade 1)- $1,000.000 Purse
CD- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
May 3, 2025

It’s such a big day at CD on Saturday, that we could not leave Lady Sammyantha out of the fun. The great seven-year-old mare will be in action for the 22nd running of the Derby City Distaff and the $1,000.000 purse that is at stake. She will look to extend her winning streak to seven, but will need to defeat nine very capable opponents, many of which have shared the starting gate with her before. You can’t talk about this race without mentioning another great, that being Blonde Dynamite, won the race three years in a row from 2007 to 2009. Last year’s winner, Smokin Cara will have an opportunity to make it two straight as Alydar Stables brings her back. We don’t have to wait long to talk about her, so let’s get to it.

1- Smokin Cara (Alydar Stables, ridden by V Espinoza)- Smokin Cara came into the Derby City staff last year following a mediocre performance in the Vinery Madison at KEE, and went on to win the race on a track listed as good. It would be one of her two wins on the year, and she’s later finish in the middle of the pack for the BC Fillies and Mares Sprint. This time around, she comes into the race looking a little better than she did in 2024, including running third in the Vinery Madison, on a good track surface. She does seem to like wet tracks, and there is a 57% chance of rain as of press time:

2- Ifyerwokeyerajoke (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by R M Hernandez)- One of those horses that it seems like I get every time they make a start. So, chances are that I have mentioned that she has not won since the Test in August 2022 on several occasions. Now, Ifyerwokeyerajoke has been getting better results as of late and has hit the board in her last three races. However, Lady Sammyantha was not in the $125.000 Wishing Well Stakes. Her SRF’s are good, and she is a $1,000.000 earner, so demands more respect than the win percentage suggests, but I’ll have to pass on her here.

3- Lille (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by M E Smith)- After running in the Cotillion, Lille ended up being sold in the Smokey Stover dispersal sale to South Beach Racing. That stable did not race her as high, and she would be claimed for $100.000 last month following a three-length win. Mo Mentum Farm had high aspirations when he made that claim, but the result of that race naturally confirmed to him that he made the right decision. It’s been a while since Lille raced against this type of company, but she was showing plenty of promise before the Cotillion and works very well.

4- Racing Tipster (Williams9, ridden by J R Velazquez)- A strong three-year-old season culminated in her running second in the BC Fillies and Mares Sprint. Soon after that, Racing Tipster was sold to Williams9, from Fractious, in a $355.090 private sale. Initially things went well, with a third place run in the La Brea, but Racing Tipster has not looked good since that race. In fairness, two of those three races came on wet tracks, but as we mentioned previously, there is a 57% chance of rain here on Saturday. I’m also not excited about her recent mile works in comparison to the others here, but there can always be other reasons for that. Regardless, I’m going to pass on her.

5- Nazca Lines (Delta Farms, ridden by F Pennington)- This filly was excellent around this time last year and rode a four-race win streak into the KYO. Ran fifth there, and while she was certainly not terrible afterwards, the results were not as good. Then, she became resurgent around September, and later only missed by a length in the BC and won the La Brea. For some reason, she was entered into a turf sprint after that, which we can disregard here, but didn’t look good in the mud at the Azeri. And with that rain chance as of press time, we can’t disregard the concern for her if it’s wet.

6- Shining At Knight (Our Athletes, ridden by F Prat)- While Shining At Knight is very capable of stepping up and running a big one, an effort that could see her in the winner’s circle, you’d have to be crazy (or at least very confident) to wager a lot of money on that to happen. Her inconsistency over her last four races makes her very hard to figure out. This wasn’t always the case with her, but it seems like when she is bad, she’s really bad. She will run a little shorter than normal here, and her first time under a mile since 2022, and she may like a wet track. Maybe there are some positive ingredients there for her, after all.

7- Lady Lara (Night Mare Racing, ridden by F Geroux)- With their names, it’s hard to not to directly compare our two ladies. Lady Lara and Lady Sammyantha are no strangers to running against one another, but Lara continues to be overshadowed by Sammyantha. They have gone head-to-head over the last three races with Lara typically a length behind her. Did get a little closer in the Vinery Madison, and perhaps there will be a time when she will be the top “Lady” in a showdown. I do think Lady Lara will get a piece of this purse.

8- Yeah Noha (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by G Corrales)- It might not be the same as Shining At Knight’s last four races, but Yeah Noha also has been hit and miss as of late. After struggling in the Inside Information, Yeah Noha was dropped into the allowances and fared very well, winning one and running second in the other. That’s enough to get the trainer to take a shot, and there’s always something about this weekend at CD that will lead to that. Having said that, others in here are simply more appealing.

9- Untidy (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Gets the call to represent the barn in this one, and it will be the first time since runs less than a mile since her debut race in 2022. Over her career, she’s won close to $2,500.000, with ten wins in 24 starts. Three of those victories come over her last five starts, and there was nothing wrong with her third-place effort in the Azeri last time out. In terms of this race, Mb Stables won’t mind seeing a wet track, as Untidy seems to like those track conditions. Now, she gets to take on the true champion of this distance.

10- Lady Sammyantha (The Sidley Stud, ridden by P Lopez)- It would be foolish right now to not pick Lady Sammyantha to win. Sure, it’s not going to pay much if it were to happen, but this juggernaut is at the top of her game right now. When was the last time that she did not win a race? The 2024 Derby City Distaff, where she finished sixth. Since then, it’s been six straight wins, and it doesn’t matter if she is starting on the inside or the outside, she gets it done. Three of those wins are Grade 1’s, with none bigger than the BC Fillies and Mares Sprint. She also needs a little bit of redemption from her run in this race last year. Sometimes, you just need to go with the flow and pick that likely heavy favorite. PS: She’s four of eight on wet tracks, so don’t worry about possible rain with her.

Prediction: 10-1-7-9

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES