The 20th Running of the G1 Derby City Distaff
Saturday, May 6, 2023
CD Race #12 $750.000
F&M 4+ 122 Lbs 7-Furlongs
Course Record-1:20.69 (Point Break-2005)
Stakes Record-1:21.00 (Avery Island-2012)
#1 Baptisted By Fire (Mo Mentum Farm/D. Van Dyke): 7yo was 4th in this event last year, then won three in a row to get herself in the BC. Didn’t fire that day but rebounded with an open allowance victory to close out her ’22 campaign. Returned this year with a G2 win in February before finishing 2nd in a DH at KEE last month. Mare has 17 wins from 42 starts and appears to be as good as she ever was, and she doesn’t mind being on the fence to kick this one off.
#2 Christina G (Mb Stables/L. Saez): 6yo DH’d with the rail horse last out to make it four consecutive narrow defeats dating back to last year’s BC. As a matter of fact, you have to go all the way back to the BC of ’21 to find a race where she wasn’t, at least, within a length of the winner. Uber-consistent mare is equally effective on the front end and chasing a target so expect her to utilize this draw to put herself in to the race early.
#3 Lucky Insist (Rock Creek/L. Dettori): 5yo mare doesn’t appear in these spots as frequently as most in here, and she’s still looking for her first graded tally; however, in her last two, she’s been impressive on her way to the WC. Water is deeper here but have to like the early foot she’s shown recently, and she should be full of herself heading into this assignment.
#4 Theres No Doubt (Angelos Stable/J.R. Velazquez): Filly disappointed as the favorite last out in the G1 Vinery Madison at KEE. Prior to that she was on a run of four consecutive exacta finishes, so maybe we can excuse the latest effort. While she had been successful with the pilot from her last five, can’t see the jock switch as anything but positive. Could find herself sitting just behind a contentious pace battle while saving all the ground around the turn.
#5 Starship Twister (TwinTowersRacing/M. Franco): 6yo, homebred mare has dabbled in a little bit of everything in her career; however, this appears to be her preferred surface. Took an AQU G3 last month where she took them all the way on the front end. Won’t get the same weight scenario here; however, she usually runs well going this seven-panel trip. Could be part of the pace scrum, but she has shown she can run well sitting off of a target, too.
#6 Terra Command (Threshold/Ru. Silvera): 6yo is in a really, really good run of form right now with four wins and a runner-up in her last five starts. She’s won going everywhere from 5f on the lawn to a mile on the main during this run, and she’s done it in different ways too. She also has shown an affinity for the CD strip as she’s taken three straight black-type events, including a G3. Has the speed needed to stay attached and should relish the 7f trip.
#7 Last Lady (Lindeman Prairie/P. Lopez): MGSW lass reached G1 status last month with a determined victory at KEE going this 7f trip. That latest effort was her second win from three starts as she began her ’23 campaign with another 7f score in a GP G2. She rarely shows up not ready to fire, and, while this post isn’t great, she’s been too consistent to think she’s not ready for battle here.
Final Analysis: Field may be short on quantity, but these are seven fillies/mares that are going to leave their mark on 2023. None of these can be tossed, but we’ll call it 1-7-2-6 in the G1 Derby City Distaff. Good luck to all involved in all of their races this weekend!
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES
