Bessarabian Stakes (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
WO- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
November 8, 2025

Next up at WO, we have the Grade 3 Bessarabian Stakes, which is a seven-furlong race on the main track for fillies and mares. Five horses will be heading to the starting in hopes of taking the winner’s share of the $150.000 purse. The race was first held in 2010 and would become graded for the first time in 2011. It was then where the race would become sentimental to me as it would be my first ever graded win, coming with Warrior Damsel, and was in a dead heat with Angelos Stable’s Ballroom Dancer. From the Warrior and the Dancer, we’ve seen some big names win, including Lady Sammyantha in 2022. Last year, we had another dead heat, and one of them, Memphis Reins, will look to win the race outright this time. Her win was with Choppy Inc last time around. Sharing the win was Spring Street for High Voltage, and we did get to see her run in the BC Distaff last month. Time will tell if we have any more future BC runners in this field, but for now let’s enjoy them here at WO. Here they are:

1- Dusty Heart (SamIam, ridden by D Z Gaskin)- Won her first three races of the year, starting with a maiden race at TUP, and finishing with the $100.000 Ruling Angel right here in May. Since then, she has made three more starts and while she may not have returned to the winner’s circle in any of them, she was only beaten by a length in each one. That includes her last race, the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes at SA where she was third behind dead heating winners. She can get revenge on both of them on Saturday.

2- Memphis Reins (Williams9, ridden by D Moran)- No horse has ever won the Bessarabian Stakes twice, so Memphis Reins can make stake history here. Last year as mentioned in the opening, it was with Choppy Inc. She raced with that trainer through August and would be put in the September auction. It was there where Williams9 picked her up, doing so for $100.000. She’s run in a couple of optional claimers since then, with a win at PRX last time out.

3- Whoop Whoop (The Sidley Stud, ridden by P Morales)- An experienced graded runner, and she has hit the board in four out of seven of those starts. Her lone win came in a dead heat, something we’ve said a lot in this preview already, happening in the Grade 3 Trillium Stakes. When we saw her last, she had a short turnaround for the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes, which did not go well for her. With some time to rest now, she figures to be a lot more competitive in this one.

4- Honey (Martyparty, ridden by L Salles)- Presently riding a hot streak, as in her last five races, she has been first or second each time, with three being wins. Her last race was the only stake win of the group, as her two previous ungraded starts saw her run second. It was not a straight up win, however, as Honey had to share the winner’s circle with So Beautiful in the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes. They’ll go at it again and run a half furlong longer.

5- So Beautiful (Jediminds Stable, ridden by P Husbands)- Does not have to look far to see the one that she finished even with in the Chillingworth Stakes, but if we’re going to compare those two head-to-head, going seven furlongs, this time would seem to benefit So Beautiful a little bit more. She’s won three of four, and the Chillingworth was her stake debut of any type. I really do like her going seven.

Prediction: 5-4-3-2

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES