The Sidney (Grade 2)- $500.00 Purse
CD- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
Five and a Half Furlongs on the Turf
May 1, 2026

As the virtual racing world gets set for KYO day at CD on Friday, a field of nine will be looking to show that you don’t have to run long or run on the main track to compete for a large purse. The Grade 2 Sidney is a turf sprint on the undercard, offering $500.00 to be split amongst its top finishers. That amount represents an increase of $100.00 from where it had been the last two years and is much higher than its $65.00 that was offered at inception in 2016. The race is also a Grade 2 for the first time, as it was a Grade 3 the last two years. Stellar Strength got the win in 2025 for Mb Stables, and she’s been a consistent in the money finisher ever since. In the win, she beat Antares in a photo, and that’s who won the 2024 edition of the race. Stellar Strength will now look to do what Antares just missed doing, as she is a part of this field. Let’s look at them now:

1- Jean From Winter Pen (Robeth, ridden by E Esquivel)- This five-year-old mare has been in the barn of several trainers, but most of her career was with Mb Stables. She was able to consistently hit the board with that barn, and when given the chance in a couple of NY-bred races, she stepped up. Then, in February, she would be sold to Robeth for $100.00, and to this point she’s only run once in her new silks. That was six weeks ago, in the $125.000 Captiva Island at GP, where she was a respectable fourth. She’s never been tested like this but did see a couple of these in the Captiva Island, and she wasn’t out of place there.

2- Stellar Strength (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- Last year, Stellar Strength did indeed knock off Antares in the Sidney, keeping that one from being the first repeat winner of the race, and now she will look to be the one to accomplish the feat. Since we last saw her here, she’s won twice over nine starts, with both of the victories being in $100.00 ungraded stakes. She’s been strong in her other races, hitting the board seven times, including running second (in a dead heat) in the Captiva Island. We also saw her three weeks ago in the Grade 2 Giants Causeway, and it was the first time she did not cash a check since August 2024. Capable of defending her crown, but certainly it will not be easy here.

3- Sannys Legacy (Threshold, ridden by B Curtis)- Ran here in late May last year in the Grade 3 Regret, and turned in a respectable third place effort. However, it has not been pretty for her since that point, she has run seven times and has only cashed a check on one occasion. That came in December at the Grade 3 Frankel States, where she was second, but that’s the outlier in a strong of otherwise unimpressive results. This will lead to a change, and for the first time in Sanny Legacy’s career, she will be sprinting on the turf. It’s also her first sprint altogether since September 2024, her second career start. Perhaps, in the long run, turf sprinting will be what she does best, but this field of proven runners in this division is a tough way for her to do it for the first time.

4- Frozen Mist (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Going off her last two races, Frozen Mist looks to be the one to beat in this field. After all, in March, she beat a few of these in the Captiva Island, and then nicely followed that up with a win in the Grade 2 Giants Causeway at KEE. It’s been nearly a year now since she joined Maxmillion Farm, and no wins were bigger than what she did at KD in the $2,000.00 KD Ladies Sprint, and if you throw out her race on the dirt, with a little more luck at the wire, you could arguably say she could be riding a much longer winning streak. She’ll certainly be a factor here but probably won’t pay much.

5- China Grove (Xcel Racing, ridden by J L Ortiz)- On the topic of winning streaks, China Grove has put together four in a row, and six of her last seven. In fact, she has been a part of the exacta in each of her last eleven races. That’s mostly all coming in overnights, first at places like HOU and LS, and then at TUP and FE, so those races are not going to intimidate others. However, when asked to do more in her last two starts, she has risen up to the occasion, grabbing the $100.00 Mardi Gras Stakes at FG two back, and the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes at SA. In those wins, her SRF’s are as good as anyone elses here, so her opportunity here is a long time coming.

6- Trumpino (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by R Bejarano)- I covered her last race, the Grade 2 Doubledogdare Stakes, and it was very memorable. Memorable, for how awful it was. It’s only been two weeks, and the conditions of this race are obviously a lot different. Not too worried about the short turnaround, because she may have forgotten she was in a race two weeks ago to begin with. For the trainer’s sake, I sure hope that switching to turf sprints is what will turn her around. Not much else I can say about her at this point.

7- Confident Elegance (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by Jam Rodriguez)- Last year at this time, Confident Elegance was not only a part of the KYO, but seemed to be one of the better options to win the race. She struggled there, and it would be her last race for Wood Duck Stables, as Maxmillion picked her up for the bargain price of $150.00. For her second start in her new silks, the Declassified filly was moved to a turf sprint and was a strong second in the Grade 3 Caress at SAR. She’s been on the turf ever since, with hit and miss results, and has only run once since November. I’ve liked her, she’s the reason I bought her sire and full brother, but I don’t know if I really like her in this field.

8- Shine To Class (Our Athletes, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Earlier in this preview, you heard us mention that Stellar Strength ran in a dead heat for second in the Captiva Island. Shine To Class was the one she shared that spot with, and it’s not the only time that these two have run against one another. They also met up after that in the Grade 2 Giants Causeway, where Shine To Class outshined her rival, and finished third in the race. Prior to that, she won a couple of open allowances, and has been consistent throughout her career, winning seven of twelve starts, and hitting the board ten times. Her signature win to this point is the $300.00 Limestone Turf Sprint at KEE a little more than a year ago, and she should be in the mix here as well.

9- Night Cruise (Mb Stables, ridden by L Dettori)- After a steady career in overnights on the main track, Night Cruise was moved to the turf for an N1X allowance at SAR last July. She would run fourth of six that day, so little did we know that a turf star was being born at this point. Following that race, she would roll of a streak of four consecutive wins, naturally making her 4-for-5 on the grass at this point in her career. Made her stake debut last time out against CA-Breds where she won, and we all know to keep an eye on these ones that Mb begins to move up the ladder.

Prediction: 4-8-5-2

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES