Latonia Stakes ($250.000 Purse)
TP- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
March 23, 2024
Like the Rushaway Stakes, the Latonia Stakes is appearing on the schedule for the first time since 2020. This race does not have a lot of history within our game, being only run twice, and for purses of $75.000 and then $100.000. The increase to $250.000 should lead to his becoming a race of interest, and we are off to a good start. Many recognizable names have made their way to TP for this one, including four who ran in the BC Distaff. Only of them cashed a check there (the fourth-place check), but the fact that they were there certainly says a lot. We’ll have eleven heading to post, so let’s take a look at them!
1- Avatar (Smokey Stover, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Over her last four starts, Avatar has been competing against NY-breds, and she comes here off of a strong wire to wire win at AQU in the $100.000 Broadway. She earned a career high 98 SRF in that two-length win, and she also has a five length win a little further back when employing the same strategy. This is her biggest test since the IA Oaks, and she should have the field ready to run, especially when starting from the rail.
2- Shining At Knight (Our Athletes, ridden by Jam Rodriguez)- Finishing last in the KYO last year was not a death sentence, as she bounced back well even though it took a little bit before she went running against graded again. Over her last five starts, she has three wins, with the biggest being two back in the Grade 3 Comely. Her only start since then was not a career highlight, but she has already proven herself able to bounce back and should be ready to take on the BC-tested runners here. I think she’s going to get it done.
3- Swiss Chocolate (Riggins Racing, ridden by P Husbands)- Has taken on Shining At Knight in both the Comely and the Grade 3 Bayakoa, where they each were last month, and finished a length behind that rival in both of them. That meant third in the Comely, but only seventh while being beaten by four lengths in the Bayakoa. She typically breaks well out of the gate, so may be keeping Avatar company early.
4- Ask Forfree Delivery (Arindel, ridden by O Murphy)- A strong four-year-old campaign saw her win four times in nine starts and make over $700.000 in earnings. Unfortunately for Arindel, none of that came in the BC Distaff, where she was beaten by six lengths en route to a twelfth-place finish. She doesn’t have to be on the lead, necessarily, but does seem to have to be close to the front as when she hasn’t, it has been a struggle. Her only race this year saw her place fourth in the Grade 3 Royal Delta at GP.
5- Mirepoix (Alabarda Stable, ridden by J L Ortiz)- The boss has given this filly a handful of opportunities at the stake level, but her performances have been hit and miss in them. Her signature win thus far is the $100.000 Skipat Stakes at PIM last May, but that is not something that is going to intimidate these rivals. Her last races have been a particular struggle, and that has prompted the trainer to change her up and run her long for the first time in more than a year. When she was doing that, she was two for four with an additional second.
6- Adolph Sniffler (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- As we move on in the starting gate, we’ll see pairs of stablemates right next to one another. The TwinTowersRacing section kicks off with Adolph Sniffler, a filly looking to get her first win since July. That was a good-looking victory at the $175.000 Fleet Treat Stakes at DMR for CA-Breds, which moved her into graded competition. She hasn’t been bad, but isn’t doing better than fourth, and that’s not going to turn a profit. Her midpack style could be a little appealing here, though.
7- Ifyerwokeyerajoke (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by A Cedillo)- It’s been a while since I have had to type out that name. It’s one that you certainly remember, after all. What has also been a while is her last trip to the winner’s circle, coming in the Grade 1 Test…. of 2022. That’s a nice score, but time has been ticking, and she needs to step again. Her last race, the Grade 3 Royal Delta saw her finish second, which is also her first time in the exacta since the Test. Perhaps she can build on that.
8- Cackle Street (The Sidley Stud, ridden by F T Alvarado)- Earlier, we talked about two horses that come here off of the Bayakoa that struggled. Well, they will have to contend with the Bayakoa winner again, as Cackle Street makes an appearance here. Her wire-to-wire win was a bit of form reversal for her, though, as she had struggled in two of her three previous races. Cackle Street seems happiest when on the lead, and I’d be looking for her up there again early, but she will have friends up there.
9- Pink Attack (The Sidley Stud, ridden by A Jimenez)- The second horse of The Sidley Stud neighbors has won over $1,000.000 for her career but none of that have come in previous two races. It is right before that where she was at her best, placing first or second in three of five over the second half of 2023, leading to the BC Distaff. There, she finished fourth, so there would be no reason to think that begin struggling. Looking back at her career, there are a few examples of two races back-to-back which were poor, then she got hot again. Perhaps that can happen again here.
10- Jinxed Artist (Smokey Stover, ridden by G W Corbett)- She won’t get a chance to start nest to her stablemate like the four to her inside, but Jinxed Artist will still be a threat here. This filly was the post time favorite for the BC Distaff, earning that distinction with an impressive stretch of four wins in five races that included the Grade 1 Spinster at KEE in October. However, in the BC Distaff, she disappointed her supporters, running eighth. That can be forgiven, but her once race after that, the HOU Ladies Classic ugly. There is reason to be optimistic, thanks to a tremendous work on Leap Day, but she will need to translate that to the track to prove that she can still be a top horse in this division.
11- Snake Island (Night Mare Racing, ridden by J Lezcano)- Slithered her way to strong three-year-old season and a second-place finish at the KYO. That was nearly a win, too, but lost in the headbob to Yow. She continued to run well through the year, and would place second in the Cotillion, sending her to the BC Distaff. Going off at odds of 29/1, she would have seemed to be a very appealing longshot, but all she did is show why she was a longshot. Like Jinxed Artist, she didn’t show much in her one race after that, so you can say the same thing about her needing a big race here.
Prediction: 2-9-4-10
— NS
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
