Sweet Life Stakes (Grade 3)- $100.000 Purse
SA- For Fillies Three Years Old
Six Furlongs on the Turf
February 14, 2021

2021 will be the fourth year that the Sweet Life Stakes is run at SA, and the third time that it is a graded stake. There are not many opportunities for turf sprinters to run graded, so the field of nine will be making the most of this chance. It is the first time that the race has been run at six furlongs, as in its history, it has been 5 ½ and 6 ½, but never six. Jockey Mario Gutierrez, known here for his prowess on the grass is impressively undefeated in this race so far, and he will try to make it four straight. His winning mount in 2020 was Appealing Jewel, for Fractious, but that trainer sold her for just $10.000 twelve days later, making it a short lived victory celebration, but she has performed decently for John Henry, who welcomed her with open arms. Here’s a quick look at this field.

#1- Vienna Stark (Sans Bois Stables, ridden by A Cedillo)- Just one win in her seven career starts, and comes off a very flat effort in her last race, which was an allowance at FG. She was going longer that day for the first time, but she pulled a complete no-show, and that does not give me confidence that she will be a factor in her graded debut.

#2- Summers Day (First Street Stables, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- Winning by five lengths in a maiden at TUP is a bigger accomplishment then it might seem, and because of that I do think she is ready to run well here in her first race since then. Has not had a public work since the middle of December, and I would have loved to have seen how she worked after that win.

#3- Command This One (Waldo, ridden by M E Smith)- After a strong work here at the beginning of the month, Command This One is making the move to the grass. Her last three races have all been $100.000 ungraded stakes, and she did get a win in one of them in October, but disappointed in her last. That got Waldo checking out the turf with her again, and she should be one to watch.

#4- Tea For Two (Keikowin Racing, ridden by D Van Dyke)- This filly broke her maiden right here in her last start, winning by a nose over five furlongs. She had been unimpressive up to that point, and it really seems as though the addition of blinkers went a real long way. Breezed well at TAM before making the trip cross country.

#5- Peppermint Crush (Allinthegate, ridden by J J Hernandez)- The Compress filly has won two of her five career races up to this point and that will give her a chance to make her stake debut. Her second win came at KEE in an allowance, and she has become used to races of similar distances.

#6- Impact Party Pride (Martyparty, ridden by G Franco)- Made an impact at her last party, doing so at FG in an allowance, which was her second career win. She has attempted one stake, an $80.000 race at BEL with conditions just like she will be running here. She was in the middle of the field that day, but it’s been three months.

#7- Hgh As A Kite (Jive Inc., ridden by V Espinoza)- While we know the trainer is going for “high” as a kite, I have to admit that my first thought was HGH, the steroid. Regardless of what you think of first when you see this name, she has proven herself on the track with three wins in five starts. Included there is a win in her last, the Grade 3 Durant at DMR. She’ll cover less ground here.

#8- Bonito Partido Babe (Martyparty, ridden by Ru Fuentes)- For this filly, it is back where she came from, as she will race for the first time for Martyparty, who bred her initially and sold her unraced. Her seven races thus far have been in the silks of Maxmillion Farm, who sold her off for $50.250. Has one graded race in her history, placing fourth in the Grade 3 Matron at BEL.

#9- Rodeo Moon (Alydar Stable, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- The trainer will be thrilled to have Gutierrez in the saddle as the jockey looks to remain undefeated in this race. Rodeo Moon is a good bet to continue that streak, with three wins in seven career starts, including the $80.000 Stewart Manor, where she beat Impact Party Pride. Working well and consistently coming in, and I like her chances here.

Prediction: 6-9-2-3

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES