Star Shoots ($125.000 Purse)
WO- For Fillies Three Years Old
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
April 27, 2024

The Star Shoots is an ungraded stake for three year old fillies on the main track that runs at WO for the 14th time. The purse for the race has been consistent through time, ranging between $100.000 and $150.000, with the current level of $125.000 being reached in 2021. Last year’s race was won Smokin Cara for Alydar Stables, and she would go on to have a strong three year old campaign that later saw two graded wins and a fourth place finish in the BC Fillies and Mares Sprint. This year, we have six fillies in the field, and here’s a look at them!

1- Barbara (Big Jd Racing, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Cuts back to sprinting after some attempts to get into the KYO, and that may be the best thing for her. She was strong in a couple of NY-bred stakes at the end of her two year old campaign, finishing second in each of the Maid Of The Mist and the Fifth Avenue. She was okay going long, and did run third in the SUN Oaks, but she may be more comfortable as a sprinter.

2- Sound Bath (Sheffler Stables, ridden by J I Alderson)- This filly has three victories over her eight starts, with the victories being in overnights. She has also made a few attempts at ungraded races similar to this one, but ran in the middle of the field. Also, she has gone back and forth between the dirt and turf over her career, so the trainer may still be trying to figure out what she truly excels in.

3- Complicated Crazy (Fractious, ridden by J Crawford)- This one is just getting started with her racing career, having only four starts. After breaking her maiden in February, Fractious gave her chance to run in the $100.000 Any Limit down at GP, and she ran third in a dead heat, one spot behind her stablemate Hawaiian Blaze, who she runs against here as well.

4- Dressed In Pink (Mb Stables, ridden by E J Wilson)- A productive two year old season saw her win over $170.000 on the year. Helping that cause was a third place effort in the Muskoka, for ON-breds, then a runner up in the Grade 1 Frizette. That could have been a great performance to build on, but Dressed In Pink has been unable to do so up to this point. Comes here off an allowance win and now tries to string back to back strong races together.

5- Hawaiian Blaze (Fractious, ridden by J Stein)- We saw her last month in the Any Limit at GP, and she would finish second after setting the early fractions. That’s a finishing position she has become familiar with early in her career, doing so four times in seven starts. Unfortunately for the trainer, there is only one victory mixed in when them. We can probably expect to see her getting out to the lead early here as well.

6- Queen Sizzler (Aer Stables, ridden by D Fukumoto)- Did not show much in her last race, when she was dropped into an optional claimer at TUP after three straight stakes appearances. At TUP, she was a complete non factor, finishing sixth. For her to be here after that, Aer Stables is obviously not concerned about the result, but as an outsider, it’s hard to throw it out completely, especially since for her to be dropped into initially is also a little telling.

Prediction: 1-4-5-3

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded