Modesty Stakes (Grade 3)- $100.000 Purse
AP- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and Three Sixteenths on the Turf
July 17, 2021

A field of six will be going to post for the 17th running of the Modesty Stakes, a long turf event for fillies and mares. Three year olds are allowed to participate in this, and they enjoy a four point weight advantage. However, only once has a three year old actually won this race, and you have to go all the way back to 2006 to find the one that did. Last year, Holualoa won the Modesty for Smokey Stover, and if it feels like I just said that, I kind of did. Holualoa also was the last winner of the Diana Stakes, a race that is also running on Saturday at SAR. The Diana being held in August last year made that a possibility. Smokey Stover has also been hot in this race, winning the previous two editions, though he will not have an entry in this race. Let’s look at those who do have entries now!

#1- Shark Bitten (Barcelona Farms, ridden by D Carroll)- The only horse in the field that has not won more than $100.000 in her career, but she is just slightly shy of that mark. What she has also been is consistent, hitting the board in six of her seven starts, and in all of her turf starts. She’s won two of them, including her last start, an allowance. The three year old has made a couple of stake starts in her career, and might really like the chance to get some more distance here.

#2- Hollywood Chef (Mis Hijos Stable, ridden by R Bowen)- The trainer will be looking for their second graded win, and hopes that it will come with the one that scored their first. Last November, Hollywood chef won the Cardinal Handicap and she has hit the board in every race since. She had a strong race in the Grade 1 Gamely, placing second though missing by three lengths. It’s a good spot for her to cook up another big win.

#3- Folsom Tradition (Hippyheart, ridden by E T Baird)- A horse with six career wins that has run in some big time stakes races, but she has never won any of the graded stakes. Hippyheart picked her up in February for $100.000 in private sales, and got her the closest finish in one, when she ran second in the Santa Barbara. She was dropped down after that into an optional claimer, and was third of four, missing by three lengths, and that was not one of those unofficial stakes we can see sometimes in a race like that. She could get it done here, but I’m not feeling it.

#4- Rules Are Madness (Angelos Stable, ridden by J Loveberry)- Is it now or never? Rules Are Madness is a great horse, and she usually runs well, but has not won in almost 52 full weeks. She used to do so a lot more often, but now it is just second, second, second, and more seconds. Five of her last eight starts has seen her be the runner up. This is a a field that she should be able to handle, but they’ll also make her earn it. It has to be time for Rules Are Madness to win again, right?

#5- Hitch A Ride (South Shore Stables, ridden by C A Emigh)- This race is unchartered territory for this three year old, as she has mostly been running at five furlongs, and has never run more than seven. Might also be worth a mention that she will be a total of six combined works and races (at least) on race day. That of course, may be entirely irrelevant. Hitch A Ride has been a good sprinter and may adapt well to this distance, but I’ll look for her down the road.

#6- Shes One Of A Kind (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by J E Lopez)- She ran twice last month, finishing third in the Grade 3 Wonder Again before winning an allowance at CD, each on off tracks. Those have been her most common finishing positions, being first of third in seven of eleven career starts. Has had several graded attempts, but has not won one yet. Seems to be one that like to be on or near the lead.

Prediction: 4-2-6-1

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES