NM Breeders Oaks ($120.000 Purse)
SUN- For Fillies Three Years Old Foaled in NM
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
March 22, 2020
Sunday is a big day at SUN with the running of the big prep races for both the KYD and the KYO. There will be more excitement on the undercard of those races as NM-bred horses will be able to show their talents to the larger virtual crowds. Here we will take a look at the race for three year old fillies, the NM Breeders Oaks, which runs for the eighth time with the highest purse it has offered to date. Drabfantasy has won this race three times, but will not have a runner this year. Neither will Mb Stables, who won the 2019 edition with Indication. Let’s look at those who will, as we have a field of five preparing to go.
#1- French Girlfriend (T Boy Racing, ridden by R Chirinos)- T Boy Racing has become an active breeder in NM, and will have two entries in this race. Impressively, French Girlfriend has raced her entire 10-race career with the NM-bred condition, something rarely seen. She’s very consistent, and does have a stake win in the mix. The others may be their home state, but for French Girlfriend, she truly is home, and that should mean something.
#2- Mariana (Greeko Holdem, ridden by R Bejarano)- After making her first three starts on the grass, Mariana moved to the main track in her last, and finally broke her maiden, routing her three rivals by four lengths. The SRF from that race is just an 84, and that’s not going to get it done here. We’ll see if the trainer can find a little more speed with her.
#3- Snakes And Ladders (Arindel, ridden by L Contreras)- Last ran nearly eight months ago, so a long layoff is in play here. Arindel picked her up in the auction on the 14th, so that layoff was not a decision of his. Running her here, off of that, and only being together so long is pretty interesting. Trainer seemed to find a second in speed in recent works with her, so that is promising for the future, but she may need a race first.
#4- Retrouvailles (T Boy Racing, ridden by G Saez)- Like her stablemate, this filly has made every start of her five-race career right here in NM. French Girlfriend has the better resume, but do not discount Retrouvailles as she ran quite well here in a second place finish in an allowance in her last start, and she can build on that here. I’ll take French Girlfriend over her, but a 1-2 finish could be in the cards.
#5- Ms Rebel Rabbit (Stone Creek Farm, ridden by J Talamo)- The biggest threat, in my opinion, to T Boy’s day. Ms Rebel Rabbit has run out of state, and took on graded company in her last start, missing by a length, finishing sixth in the Forward Gal. She was coming late in that race, and this race is one more furlong. Worked well in her last mile work, too, and she knows how to win, doing so in four of her eight starts.
Prediction: 1-5-4-3
— NS
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
