Bourbonette Oaks (KYO)- $150.000 Purse
TP- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile on the Dirt
March 27, 2021

With just a little more than a month to go now until the KYO, trainers are looking to pick up any amount of points that they can to get into the race. There will be more points at stake down at GP, but the 20 points that the winner picks up here in the Bourbonette Oaks could prove to be very valuable, and a wise decision made to come here instead. This is the third year that the race will run as an ungraded stake, as it lost its Grade 3 status in 2019, though the purse has remained constant. Our winner here last year was Miss Flora, for Nakamura Stables, but she would not make it into the KYO, and has since been retired. We have eight in the race this year, and here is a look at them!

#1- Viking Belle Vb (Smokey Stover, ridden by J Lezcano)- Picked up by the trainer in private sales at the beginning of February from La Canada Racehorses for $250.000, and made her debut for Smokey in the $250.000 Busher at the start of the month. In it, she came from well off the pace to get up for second, something that we have not seen a lot of lately, so it speaks well of her closing kick. That got her 20 points, putting her 18th on the leaderboard.

#2- Dead Sneaky (Ace Racing Stable, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- This filly has made two starts in her career, winning on debut at the free track, and then finishing third in a $14.000 claimer. So, the logical next start is here, right? Well, looks like the trainer is trying to be dead sneaky with this filly that they did claim in that race. A work on the 14th does not stand out at me, but there must be something behind the scenes here. Her name is fitting if she pulls this off.

#3- Cartwheel Dumpling (Night Rider Stables, ridden by A Beschizza)- Last month, this Compress filly raced at TAM and finished fifth in the Suncoast and missing out on the points that get awarded there. Right now, Cartwheel Dumpling has just one win in her four starts, and it is the only time she has hit the board in those starts. At the same time, she is running decently, finishing in the middle of the field and just missing. This is a good race for her to be in.

#4- Ginger Lee (Nakamura Stables, ridden by T J Pereira)- The only horse in the field from Nakamura Stables as the trainer looks to win this race for the second year in a row. Ginger Lee is lightly raced, with two starts so far, and they have each resulted in a victory! Neither of them are at the stake level. Her work times are solid, and we’ll see if she can keep up her winning ways against much stronger company.

#5- Blue Moon Rising (Sccj Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- It seems like it took this filly a little while to get going, not breaking her maiden until her fifth start, though probably she just wanted to start running longer. After breaking her maiden in January, she was sent to the $100.000 May for NY-breds, and ended up third in the race. It appears as though she will be given bute for the first time for this race.

#6- Quickly Insist (Bomberracing, ridden by M A Vasquez)- Picked up in the auction two weeks ago for $70.010 and the trainer likes what they see, entering them here in the Bourbonette. The filly has won three of four thus far, and that does include a stake, as she won the $100.000 Finest City Stakes, for PA-breds, at PID last September. She has only made two starts since then.

#7- Lady Sammyantha (The Sidley Stud, ridden by J K Court)- Here is the most experienced horse in the field, as it will already be the 11th start of her career. I’m not really sure what to think about her, as she has only managed one win in that time, but is not always the most consistent horse. Had a great run in September and October, but since last fall, she has been a disappointment. At the same time, this is still a horse with talent, and this is a great place for her to run. I usually shy away from horses like this, but here, I have to say I think she is about to run real well.

#8- Golda Meir (Patterson Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- We get a maiden into this race, but Golda Meir has been running decently, with three second place finishes. Like always, this time of year, if you think a horse has a chance to make the big race, you have to take the shot. But I don’t take a shot with picking maidens.

Prediction: 7-1-4-5

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded