Eight Belles (Grade 2)- $500.000 Purse
CD- For Fillies Three Years Old
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
May 5, 2023

The Eight Belles is a good example of a race that has grown through time. When it first appeared on the schedule, it was a Grade 3, but only offered a $100.000 purse. It stayed around that level for around a decade before gradually increasing to $300.000. Then, last year, it would get another increase, up to its current level of $500.000, making it one of the highlights of KYO day on Friday. Last year, this seven-furlong race was won by TwinTowersRacing and his filly, Lassitude, unfortunately for the trainer, Lassitude has not returned to the winner’s circle and although she is still active, she has not been on good form as of late. The gate will be full to capacity for this race, but it must be mentioned that there is a 51% chance of rain, as of press time, at CD on Friday. Let’s take a look at the field!

#1- Victorious Secret (Acber Farms, ridden by J R Velazquez)- She’s lived up to her name in three of her five career races, and that includes her stake debut which came in her last start. She took on State-breds in the NM Breeders Oaks and won that $250.000 race by four lengths. Add in the prior start, and she’s won her last two races by a combined seven lengths, so this is a great spot for her to make her graded debut. This is still a test, and it’s worth noting that those last three races were a little over a mile.

#2- Points Of Grace (Mb Stables, ridden by D Van Dyke)- This one is still just getting her career started, as she has only raced twice thus far. After getting over four months off, Points Of Grace broke her maiden at SA at the beginning of April in a five-furlong race and the trainer likes what he sees out of her to place her into the Eight Belles. He has a couple others in here that have more experience, and when you have as many stars as Mb has, you can throw in a horse like this to see how she may handle the competition.

#3- Toppifiant (Our Athletes, ridden by T Gaffalione)- After a three race winning streak that begin with breaking her maiden, and included a win in the $200.000 Shamrock Rose for PA-breds, Toppifiant was moved into the graded ranks. Since then, she has run in a pair of Grade 2’s (the Davona Dale and the GP Oaks) and even though she did not win either of them, she was within a half-length of victory in each of them, so might just need a little more racing luck. Perhaps, one less furlong will help that out. Unpredictable in terms of what tactic may be used.

#4- Parade Leader (Fractious, ridden by M Franco)- One of three horses that will be heading to the starting gate for Fractious. She’s won three of her ten career starts, with her last race being a stake win in the $150.000 Evening Jewel, for CA-breds. That’s an example of the type of race that she has been in for most of her career. The Eight Belles will be just her second start, and you have to go back to a disappointing effort last summer in the Schuylerville for the prior effort. Has a good knack for always being in the mix.

#5- Dolly P (Arindel, ridden by J C Ferrer)- The last time that we saw this filly, she was running in the Grade 1 Ashland, and ended up finishing second in the race. That, and second in the Las Virgenes helped her finish 20th on the KYO leaderboard, but unlike the KYD, that is not high enough. This will be a good alternative for her, because she should have no problem cutting back to seven furlongs when she ran well at an even mile. I’m going to throw out the Fifth Avenue. Something had to have happened there. I’m high on her chances here.

#6- Empire Sunset (Fractious, ridden by L Dettori)- Here is another horse that comes out of the Ashland, but Empire Sunset did not have the success in that one like Dolly P had. She’s only won once in her nine starts but handled the mud well in the Silverbulletday Stakes in a runner up effort, and that is something to keep in mind if the possibility for rain does come to fruition. Interestingly, six of her nine races this year have come on off tracks, and the wetter it gets, the better she may be.

#7- Siouxbiscuit (Mb Stables, ridden by Ru Silvera)- Won the first two starts of her career, including a nice score in the $200.000 Susan (FL Sire Stakes) just three weeks after breaking her maiden. That is something that she has been able to carry into 2023 with some sharp efforts in KYO preps. First, she won the Grade 3 Forward Gal Stakes, which is a seven-furlong race, and barely missed in a photo finish at the Grade 3 Fantasy. That would not be enough to get her into the KYO for Mb Stables, but as is the case with Dolly P, this serves as a good Plan B. She was 11th on that leaderboard, but Mb Stables had three two-year-old.

#8- Sioux Flower (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- Entry number three for Mb Stables in the Eight Belles, and she has plenty of stake experience. After a solid two-year-old campaign, she began this year with a win in the Silverbulletday Stakes, edging Empire Sunset by half a length. Did not follow that up well, but in her last race, she went wire to wire in the mud at the seven-furlong Grade 2 Beaumont. Three of her last four races have been in the mud, so she won’t be caught off guard if it rains here on Friday. Looks like one of the top threats in this field.

#9- Ignore Tucker (Fractious, ridden by F Geroux)- Still looking for her first win for Fractious, something that didn’t seem like it would be a problem when he picked her up last August. Her last race was a good one, placing third in the Grade 3 Fantasy, but it was also the first time that she hit the board for Fractious. Maybe that can be the race that gets her going, as she’s been better in 2023 than she was late in 2022. This is tough spot to turn the corner, but I would not entirely rule it out.

#10- Fire Artiste (Alydar Stables, ridden by L Saez)- The Con Artist filly has made six starts for her career, and has won half of them. She’s a horse that also ran in a handful of KYO preps and had success while doing so. At the beginning of March, she was victorious in the Grade 2 Davona Dale, but that would not be enough to get her into the big race. Last month, when she had the chance to gain more points, she put in a dud in the GP Oaks. If that is a throw out, then we can feel better about her chances. I am not fully sure that we should disregard that, though.

#11- Groovy (Calia Stable, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- After a few races on the grass, Groovy had a successful transition back to the main track when she placed second in the Grade 2 Davona Dale, coming ever so close to the win there. A month later, she turned in another good effort in the Ashland, where she was third, but this would still not be enough to make the KYO, finishing 22nd in points. Only if the Davona Dale photo had gone her way but she can turn the tables on Fire Artiste here.

#12- Spring Street (High Voltage, ridden by D E Centeno)- Everything had been going great for this filly, finishing somewhere in the top four in each of her five starts, including second place efforts in each of the Forward Gal Stakes and the Honeybee. Then, disaster struck in the Grade 3 Fantasy, where she lacked stretch response, and dropped from fourth to her ultimate tenth place result. That’s out of character her, so I can forgive it, but still you would like to see her bounce back well here in Eight Belles.

Prediction: 5-7-11-8

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES