The Demoiselle (Grade 2) (KYO)- $250.000 Purse
AQU- For Fillies Two Years Old
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
December 2, 2023

We turn the page of the calendar to December, and the first weekend of the month will see some great racing at the Big A. Part of that schedule will be the 19th running of The Demoiselle, a KYO- point paying race that has attracted seven horses that were a part of the BC festivities at SA last month. They will take on five others in a full field that has the making of a great race. We’ve seen some very good winners of this one in the past, but no name will stand out bigger than La Terrifiant, who got the win in 2017 a month after she won the BC Juvenile Fillies. Last year, the race was won by Lucky Star, for Calia Stable. She is still active, though switched trainer hands in May for $800.000 to Maxmillion Farm. Only one horse in the ten-horse field last year ended up running in the KYO, and that was fourth place Shining At Knight. However, she did not beat anyone in the KYO itself. This field seems deeper, so I expect that will different and for the better in May. For now, here’s the field!

#1- Your Next (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Geroux)- Two for two on her career thus far, winning at LAD before having no problem taking on the race that was next: the Grade 3 Mazarine BC Stakes, which was on the same weekend that many others here were running in the bigger BC, the one at SA. That doesn’t mean that Your Next can’t handle this field, and if she runs the way she did in the stretch at WO here at AQU, she will very much be in contention. I’m looking forward to top-level how she handles this.

#2- Be Yourself (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- In September, Be Yourself picked up the win in the Grade 3 Pocahontas by going wire to wire en route the victory. That sent her to the BC Juvenile Fillies, and after running near the back of the field most of the way, she found her way through traffic to get up for fourth. The tactical differences are indeed interesting there, making it hard to determine how she’ll handle this one.

#3- Reflex Action (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- In October, this former $35.000 maiden claimer would win the Grade 1 Frizette, which was at the time his second win in a row. That would send her to the BC Juvenile Fillies, and it seemed like she would be a stronger threat in the race than how it would ultimately play out. She would not beat anyone that day, losing by six lengths. Time to put that behind her and bounce back!

#4- Beat Down (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by L Saez)- The more experienced runner for the trainer in this field, but I don’t think she is the better one between them. She did run in the BC last month, taking her talent to the grass where she was a respectable fourth. Overall, she has only won once in her six starts and the better results are on the turf. She very well could have a strong run here, but her stablemate simply intrigues me quite a bit.

#5- Gormley (Royalty Stables, ridden by D Van Dyke)- Making her stake debut here in the Demoiselle, but she was seen at SA last month. The day after the BC was done, Gormley took part in an optional claimer and got the win, making it two out of four for herself thus far. Speed figures and works will not amaze you, but she seems to be the type of horse who knows how to pick it up on the track when it matters most.

#6- I Made A Decision (Jireh, ridden by M Franco)- In August, she earned a win in the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes, and really seemed to be running well at the start of her career. However, things have not been good for her since, being soundly defeated in each of the Spinaway, Frizette, and BC Juvenile Fillies. Those are, of course, all top-level graded races but this one is not really playing out any different than those given the amount of BC runners heading to the gate with other appealing entries. For now, my decision is to pass on her.

#7- Radio Ruffian (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by D Davis)- And now, the third entry that the trainer will have in the race, and if I were to rank them, I would put her as my second choice. Overall, she’s won once out of five starts, but did have a very strong showing in the Grade 3 Pocahontas only to see Be Yourself get the headbob on her at the wire. Following that, she disappointed in the Frizette and has not been back in a race since. I like that she has had some time to recover from that, and I feel she will be much more competitive. That still may not be good enough.

#8- Aghast (Mb Stables, ridden by J C Ferrer)- Everything was going great for this filly over her first five starts, hitting the board in all of them, including the DMR Debutante and the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes, winning the latter. In the BC Juvenile Fillies, she ran just like she typically would, going out on the lead and hoping to stay there, However, she would only be able to finish ahead of one of her rivals, being defeated by a solid four lengths. Mb will make the needed adjustments, and I would not be shocked if she is midpack or further back early on here.

#9- Cute Puppies (Wood Duck Stables, ridden by Mar Garcia)- Running third in the slop last month was not something that has deterred the trainer from entering Cute Puppies in a stake for the first time. The filly has won just once in four starts, coming at MTH in August. It was after that when she raced in the rain at CD and actually did run well in that one. The winner of that race, Princess Floral ran midpack in the Golden Rod last week, and Cute Puppies must be at her best here or it will be a similar fate.

#10- Commie Queen Party (Martyparty, ridden by E J Wilson)- After debuting at MNR, this King Party filly broke her maiden at the end of September at SA, a result that excited the trainer enough to run her in the $200.000 Rags To Riches last month. Commie Queen Party stepped up well in that one, finishing second to the well accomplished Gospel that day. If she ran competitively against that one, she can do so against this company as well and is a name to keep an eye on going forward.

#11- Reaper Lightning (Arkansas Elite, ridden by A E Birzer)- Also ran in the BC last month, but her running was done on the grass. In the Juvenile Fillies Turf, she could only manage and 11th place finish, and now the post draw will make her wear that number on her saddlecloth. As far as the main track is concerned, she’s only been on it once, and only went two furlongs on it. I will always understand why this type of switch is made this time of year, and based on the BC performance, it’s the right time to do it.

#12- Purple Charger (Fractious, ridden by J R Velazquez)- We’ve talked a lot about horses coming into this after running in the BC, but have not had that one horse that really ran a strong race there, until now. Purple Charger was second best in the BC Juvenile Fillies, running on the lead before having to settle for the runner up spot. She did that from post 14 and has a lot of experience starting from the outside and succeeding with it. So, while some might not like this post, this is just where Purple Charger likes it. The Alcibiades winner is the one to beat here, but it’s not a given.

Prediction: 12-2-10-1

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES