Schmitt Stakes

 

2024 sees the inaugural running of the Schmitt Stakes at PLN for three-year-old and upward fillies and mares foaled in CA over 6 furlongs dirt on Saturday for a purse of $75.000.

Here’s the field:

 

1 – Flair        Owner: Asgar, Jockey: Antongrgi III W

 

Asgar picked up Flair for $9.210 at auction in June of last year and rested her up until November when he brought her back for a $15.000 price tag and she placed despite the long layoff. So, hey, pretty good, he placed her in a couple of decent races at FG and she did well. Then a try in the Owens Distaff Stakes, but the following run in an Allowance race at PIM was a 94 SRF surprise win, so here we are in the Schmitt.

 

2 – Coffee Trauma        Owner: The Freakshow, Jockey: Alvarado F T

 

Lightly raced Coffee Trauma comes here off back-to-back wins that started win the maiden breaker at GG and culminated with a one-length victory in a $92.000 allowance race at SA last registering a decent 93 SRF, not bad for a five-race three-year-old. Now take that and the five-pound allowance, and she has a great shot here.

 

3 – Fioraia Ruler        Owner: Avenue Z, Jockey: Espinoza A

 

The old pro Fioraia Ruler is a multiple stakes winner with earnings over $300.000. The catch: she hasn’t seen dirt under her feet in a race in 16 races. Her big wins come on turf, and she’ been prepping on turf. Now, I know these days the difference between turf and dirt is supposed to be minimal, but I reckon she might need a race or two to acclimate.

 

4 – English Charm        Owner: Zoeller, Jockey: Martinez C

 

English Charm just scored a nose victory in the Owens Distaff Stakes at TUP registering a second-highest SRF 96 for this race. That was her fourth win in her last five races. The race she missed in, she did one of those wait too long to start her run, then when she did, she was within a length of the win. That whole form looks enough to make her the favourite here, even if it is technically a bit of a step up.

 

5 – Socrates Sweep        Owner: The Sidley Stud, Jockey: Garcia En

 

Socrates Sweep comes from a stable that takes every entry seriously, and she’s been working her way up the ladder since she was introduced to the starting gate. Most recently she has placed in three straight stakes races with purses starting at $0.000, then $25.000 and finally $125.000 finishing third beaten a head in the Melair Stakes at SA. With the five-pound allowance at this time of year, she has a strong chance here.

 

6 – Love Analyst        Owner: Asgar, Jockey: Rivera S

 

Asgar’s other runner here Love Analyst finished a high-SRF third in the Mizdirection Stakes at SA last out beaten only a head. Here again the catch is: turf. That race and the 98 SRF were on the grass. Now this mare isn’t turf restricted, she bounces back and forth from surface to surface. However, the last time she placed on dirt was in October of ’22, so she hasn’t shown much interest in the surface for a long time.

 

So, looking it over, I kinda like young Coffee Trauma for the win. The race she just won was actually a larger purse victory than this race. I think English Charm will be the favourite and strong enough for second with Socrates Sweep taking the third spot.