The Bel Oaks, Purse $1,000.000, Grade 1, 1 mile and 1/4, Turf for Fillies 3
When you breed or buy a nice filly turf router at a young age this has to be one of the big races that you hope to get yourself into. This purse is one of the biggest you will find for these types of horses so it draws the best the game has to offer. This years edition does not disappoint as we have a full field of 14 talented 3 year old fillies that are signed on to do battle against each other for a spot in the Breeders Cup the price to the winner. Chili King looks like they really want that spot by entering 4 nice fillies into the race. Let’s take a look at the field:
1-Divine Monson(Sanny Village)- Was recently claimed by Sanny Village for $35.000 out of an OC race. Sanny Village saw enough out of this horse to immediately step her up to the stakes level. She is not being eased in either she is going straight to the top. She boasts a nice race record winning 4 out of 7 races. She also showed that she enjoys the turf going a perfect 1 for 1 on the turf. She has a nice one mile public turf work on June 16th at Prx that shows that she may belong in this field.
2-Sense of Stile (Cajun Stables)- Comes into the race with a nice win rate winning 5 out of 9 career races…..the downside is that she has never stepped foot on a turf course in the afternoon. She has looked good in some ungraded dirt ungraded stakes piling up some wins there. She also looks good in the only public turf work, which must have told owner Cajun Stables it was worth a shot in this large race. She is a great unknown this Saturday because there is no turf form to go back on.
3-Wire Z Wire (Diablo Diablo)- Has won 2 out of 10 lifetime races with one of those wins coming on the turf. That win was 2 races back on the turf at Kee in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes. She came back out of the race and ran against the boys in the Pen Mile and did not fair to well. Her public turf works have gotten slower as the year has gone on, which gives me pause about this horse. Is Diablo Diablo working on something or has she lost a step? We will find out on Saturday.
4-Girl Talk(Nolespan Racing)- What a great $3 purchase by Nolespan, this horse comes into the race winning 4 out of her last 5 races, including multiple graded stakes races. The most recent win was going an mile and 1/8th on the turf in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at SA. There has been no public works since that race, but based upon her recent race form I am not concerned at all about her losing a step. She looks to be one of the post time and race favorites for this one.
5-Mrs Viper Mojica (Nolespan Racing)- A $6.250 claim that Nolespan has been working up the class ladder. She has won 3 in a row all routing on the turf. This will be her first time in against stakes company but it looks like a strategic move up the class ladder by Nolespan. He has Girl Talk entered right next to her, who has the early pace, and it looks as if Noelspan wanted to cover his bases and put a closer in the race as well in case Girl Talk can’t hold her speed for the distance. There are very few public works for me to look at to see if she is going to be at her best for this race, but if there is a pace meltdown she could be there at the end.
6-Barbaresca (Chili King Stables)- Has hit the board in 6 out of 8 starts in her lifetime with 2 of those being wins. She has hit the board in all 5 of her turf starts with both of her lifetime wins coming on the surface. She won her last race routing on turf in an overnight stake in a nice time. She also came out of the race well and posted a nice public work going a mile on the turf on June 11th at CD.
7-You Can Do It (MB Stables)-Comes in winning 1 and finishing 2nd in 2 of her last four races. The win came in an overnight stake in March of 2015 going a flat mile at SA. She then stepped up in distance an class and finished 2nd in a Grade 3 and a Grade 2 and then ultimately finished off the board in the Grade 1 Gamely. She has been working very nice since that last 4th place finish which tells me she may be on the improve. Her best races she seems to be near the front, we will see if she can do that this race.
8-The Clash (Salamaca Stable)-Has shown great dirt form with 4 wins and 4 seconds in 10 lifetime starts on the dirt. In her only start on the turf she finished 3rd but was closing in an overnight stake at SA. The most recent turf work for her is ok but to me it looks like owner Salamaca Stables was working on something with her, maybe to try and see if she could get the distance of todays race. The one turf race shows me that this one could be there in the end, and she has shown she has plenty of class on the track. Keep your eye out on this one.
9-Jaw Bone (Chili King Stables)- There is little doubt that this one likes the turf as last year she was in the BC Juvenile Turf. She is a multiple graded stakes winner on the turf with the most recent stakes win coming in her last race in the Grade 3 Regret at CD in June of 2015. She appears to have a flexible running style having won from near the pace and also run well coming on late. The public works coming into the race are nice and this one has to be looked at.
10-Skeleton Spy (Chili King Stables)-The BC Juvenile turf runner up from last year has not kicked on with it this year as owner Chili King Stables had hoped. She has had 1 win but that was in an allowance race but in her other races she is just knocking on the door finishing either 3rd or 4th in this races. Her public works are nice, but her inability to get back to the winners circle in any grades stakes in her life gives me pause as to if she can get it done. She is a nice horse that has a chance at picking up a check…..just not sure it’s the winners share.
11-Chateau De Versaille ( D J C Racing Stable)-This horse has proven that it likes to win and she likes to win often winning 4 races in a row including her last race going this same distance in the Grade 1 American Oaks. She won that Grade 1 impressively by 4 big lengths. That race looked like it took a lot out of her because her first work back after was 2 seconds slower than her work going into the American Oaks. She followed it up with an average work going 6 furlongs as well. Could owner D J C Racing Stables be trying something new in the mornings or has she had enough off her Grade 1 vicotry?
12-Altered Skeleton (Chili King Stables)- Has 2 lifetime wins with both of those wins coming on the turf. The highest level win this one has in an allowance win but it was routing on the turf. Her race times look to be ok, but they do not to be on par with some of the horses that are in this race. She is also being run back fairly quickly after finishing 4th in an overnight stake on June 14th. She just looks like she may have a bit to much to do to win this one.
13-Rose of Glamergon (Blushing Meadows)-Ran second in the American Oaks at this distance, and boasts an impressive record on the grass. She has won 4 out of 5 starts with the lone loss a 2nd place finish in the American Oaks. She is a Grade 3 winner routing on the turf and just had a blistering one mile turf work June 14th at Bel. That work showed me that she is primed and ready to roll after that second place finish in the American Oaks. She has to be one you have to look at as she is proven over this distance.
14-Raquette Lake (Night Mare Racing)-Comes into the race winning 2 out of 5 lifetime starts on the turf. The most recent win came in her last start going a flat mile on the turf in an overnight stake at Bel. That was her first win since October of 2014 so she will be trying to string multiple wins together for the first time in her life. Her work times are nice, but the last race time was a bit on the slower end for my liking. She is a nice horse but in a field of nice horses may have a bit to much to overcome.
This is a talent laden field where the winner can come from a number of different places. There are some horses with stakes experience and others without, some who have tried the turf others who haven’t. I am really looking for a surprise winner here in this race. Here is my prediction. 5-13-1-4
Warbucks
Categories: Grade I
