1/17/21
5 SA Astra Stakes (GIII)
$100.000 4yoF&M 1 1/2m Turf 123lbs +penalties
Marathon Matrons will be going the extended route mile and a half distance and we look at the field for Sunday’s Astra Stakes (GIII), here in SoCal. I’m looking for Number Nine to get back on track today after a couple of fifth place finishes. She really seems to have a fondness for this distance and that sets her apart to me. I’ll go to the far outside post and put Holualoa in the middle of this one as well. Four wins last season shows that she knows how to collect a check, and that’s a good thing.
Here’s The Field –
|
Big Fajita | Rheingold Stables | Cedillo A |
123 |
5/1 |
Back to back runner up efforts at WO facing ONT-bred stakes horses and looks to stretch out while going to graded horses. She’s a nice horse and really never runs a bad race, so I’d certainly keep her in mind on those exacta and trifecta wagers.
|
Army Flag | Paradise Stable | Espinoza V | 123 | 4/1 |
Three wins in her ’20 efforts and was on the board in six of eight starts. She closed out the season with a fourth place finish as the post time favorite at DMR in the Red Carpet Hcp (GII). Can she improve from that effort? I think so.
|
Number Nine | Spankys Barn | Van Dyke D |
123 |
3/1 |
Solid marathon mare and she won three starts last season, all at this distance including a nice two length win at SAR in the Waya (GIII). She really seems to prefer this distance and that makes her a big threat today.
|
July In Cheyenne | Night Rider Stables | Prat F |
123 |
15/1 |
Won back to back races taking down Mdclm at MNR then came back for a $7.500 tag and won in clear fashion again. So they skip the lead-up and go right after black type horses. Don’t tell her those were low end claimers and maybe she won’t know.
|
Limited Risk | Fractious | Fuentes Ru |
123 |
9/2 |
On the board in seven of eight starts last season, which speaks for itself. A pair of wins from those races but she’s been more of a miler type, so it will be interesting to see how she takes to the extended distance. Still, she knows how to fetch a check and should be given a look.
|
Proud Eights | Estero Farms | Franco G |
123 |
7/2 |
Only a single win from her seven ’20 starts but she was on the board in four other races, so she’s usually around when they hand out the money. I like that she ran big in the Glens Falls (GII) going a mile and three-eights… she may like this distance. You can throw out that eleventh on BC Day, that was asking a lot.
|
Resilience | TwinTowersRacing | Hernandez J J |
123 |
10/1 |
Four starts since being claimed for $19.000 back in Jun of last season and it’s been a close but no cigar story up until now. A pair of fourths, a placing at PRX and a DH’ed third at HAW last out. She’s going to need her best to be any part of this one.
|
Shake The Stick | Nakamura Stables | Pereira T J |
123 |
10/1 |
A single win in the ’20 and that was back in May when she took down OptAlw types on the soft PIM sod. She’s been close in a number of races, including last out in the Via Borghese at GP, so maybe the extra distance is what she needs.
|
Holualoa | Smokey Stover | Gutierrez Mario |
123 |
5/1 |
Four wins last season including four stakes, three of those graded, so there’s no doubt she has some talent. Her best would certainly put her right in the middle of things here, so look for a big effort and for her to be in contention at the wire.
COZMAN 3 / 9 Willie’s Green Card 3 / 5 / 8
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
