Surfer Girl Stakes- $100.000 Purse
SA- For Filles Two Years Old
One Mile on the Turf
October 10, 2015
On the surface, there are no ties between the Surfer Girl Stakes and the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. It is not a “win and you’re in” race. In theory anyway. This year we will hold the fourth running of the Surfer Girl Stakes, a race in which the winner on each occasion would race in the BC Juvenile Filles Turf in their next start. Sanny Village has saddled two of the prior three winners, including Wildstile, who went on to finish fifth in the Breeders Cup race a few weeks later. Sanny does not have an entry in this race, but the aspirations of those who do are looking towards KEE in three weeks. There is still enough time to get it done. Drabfantasy, the one that did win the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf last year with Broomsticks Copy, who by the way scored a huge win last week in the Grade 1 First Lady at KEE, will saddle two runners in this years race. We have a full field of eleven going to the gate in this one, so let us meet the field.
#1- Little Kruz (Brave, ridden by V Espinoza)- On the rail, Little Kruz is a filly with some pretty good pedigree, but so far only has a maiden win to her credit. Nothing was wrong with that, coming on soft turf at SAR in her debut, but since then Little Kruz has been entered in races like this and is going to have to improve a little to get a win here. It’s tough to get a read on her with only one track work since May 15th, one in which was on August 4th and only three furlongs. On the track two starts back she ran in the $100.000 OT Juvenile Fillies Turf and was fifth. It may seem as though she closed at the end, but note that at six furlongs, she was ninth and four lengths back. Love Divine, who she sees here again, was tenth and five lengths back at the same point. Love Divine beat her by three lengths in the last two furlongs, so the close of Little Kruz wasn’t overpowering. I’m gonna pass.
#2- Sentient Pup (Gdp Inc, ridden by G L Stevens)- So far this filly is one for two in her career, and it is pretty clear that she was just waiting for the long turf races to begin. Last month at LAD, she won her debut in a $19.000 maiden against three rivals. Recently, she has put together some great works at PRX, including last Monday which was the 7th fastest mile work recorded by a two year old filly on the turf in 2015. (None of the top 6 are in this field). It’s time for her to show that she can bring it on race day, and she could be a sneaky entry into the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf if she did win here.
#3- Love Divine (Wolfs Den, ridden by T C Baze)- Early in her career, she got off to a good start while running for Mm Racing, taking two of the first three races she was in. Neither of those wins were in great company, and Wolfs Den picked her up in a $30.000 claimer. So far, the new trainer doesn’t have a win with her, but did get a closing performance in the OT Juvenile Fillies Turf that should keep the trainer optimistic. She gained three lengths on the winner in that race in the final two furlongs while the winner ran an approximate 22 3/4 second final quarter. If she can bring that again and start that move a little earlier, she will be a force to reckon with.
#4- Nebraska Fives (Drabfantasy, ridden by M A Pedroza)- Two races back, I watched this filly race at SAR in the Johnson and was impressed with her second place performance. However after that she turned in a complete dud of a race in the Our Dear Penny, placing sixth, nine lengths and a speed figure that might not win a race at MNR. All that happened last week. Yes, last week. The quick turnaround into this race shows to me that the trainer knows exactly why that result happened, and is not concerned about that result in any capacity. So, we’ll have to see then if two races in two weeks and a trip across the country from Florida to California will be too much for her. Thankfully for the trainer, it’s a virtual horse race.
#5- Angel of Destiny (Two Hearts One Love, ridden by B Blanc)- Looks like this well known trainer is back at it again, and he will be hoping that his Call of Destiny filly can score a stakes win that is worth bragging about. It does look as though she has been wanting to go long, but I am not completely certain that she wants to do it on the grass. She’s coming out of a not highly regarded claiming race at LAD, and I would have liked to have at least seen her win this race. In the long run, this filly may have a lot of potential but this seems like too much too soon.
#6- Stop The Presses (Mb Stables, ridden M E Smith)- Mb Stables will bring this nicely conformed filly to the track in hopes of winning her third race in four starts. Things have gotten off to a good start for her with a good looking win in a statebred allowance for ON-breds in late August. She might need to be a little quicker then that to win here, but I do believe that she will be able to do that in this one. Stop The Presses has been waiting to go long but will meet the toughest competition she ever has seen before. She’ll be a threat, but I can’t put her on top.
#7- Known To Profit (Nakamura Stables, ridden by F Prat)- The Knowledge Geek filly has won three of her five career races, including a win at this distance in an optional claimer at RET last week. The Surfer Girl Stakes isn’t RET, and Known The Profit will have to be about a second faster in this race then she was down in Texas. Last week, she fired off a bullet work at six furlongs, on the dirt right here. I am a little uncertain as to whether or not she wants to be on the grass, so I am hesitant to put a lot of faith in her. She does have some stake experience, placing 5th in the $50.000 Angie C Stakes, a race that was won by Klassy With A K, who is going to be in the BC Juvenile Fillies.
#8- Broomstick Is Yummy (Drabfantasy, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- The second of Drabfantasy’s entries has something else in common with her stablemate other then the silks: She raced last week. Broomstick is Yummy was in Texas for the La Senorita Stakes at RET and would be second by four lengths in a four horse field. This filly will need to show improvement from that race, because a race time in the mid 1:34’s like she did last week simply will not get it done here. And that’s assuming she is fresh for this race. There is potential here, but at least Stop The Presses scratched out of the La Senorita in order to come here.
#9- Red Rose of Texas (Joseph Racing, ridden by D Van Dyke)- She hasn’t needed to race at RET like the two to her inside to be the rose of Texas, as she’s been busy running in graded events. In her last start, the Grade 2 Pocahontas at KEE, she lead most of the way before packing it in and finishing sixth. Before that, it was the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at DMR where she again led from the start before finishing fifth. In theory, this should be an easier race then those two but she is going to have to find a way to be stronger to the wire then she has been, or there are several in here that will go by. If she gets locked in an early speed duel with the one right next to her, Broomstick Is Yummy, then this race will be more of the same. She may be the best in the field in raw ability, but will need to finish strong. Bear in mind a couple of the other top contenders here like to come from off the pace.
#10- Pretty Little Pirate (Night Mare Racing, ridden by J Talamo)- Commanding gets the press, but Pretty Little Pirate’s sire, the Sneaky Little Pirate is the leading freshman sire in the game right now. He doesn’t get mentioned enough, so it’s worth making that shout out. She has only been on the track twice, and is coming off her maiden win at DMR in August. With that in hand, she is entered in this race and is working very well coming into this event. A Pretty Little Pirate Runs Off With The Surfer Girl would be a perfect headline for a recap, but this filly will have to earn that date against tough competition.
#11- Musical Ride (SamIam, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- There are no public works on the turn for this filly, nor have either of her two races been on the grass. This makes her an unknown for the race. She won her debut at 4F at GG, and then ran exactly 90 days prior to the day of this race at an $23.200 CA-bred optional claimer at SAC. Here she is. Hopefully the trainer has some nice farm works at their disposal which show needed improvement. If so, then there is the matter of overcoming this outside post. This seems like an ambitious placement, but we have learned to expect the unexpected.
Prediction: 2-9-6-3
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
