The Forward Gal Stakes (Grade 3) (KYO)- $150.000 Purse
GP- For Fillies Three Years Old
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
February 1, 2025

The Forward Gal Stakes is February’s first KYO prep, and it will offer 20 points for its winner. At seven furlongs, the race is shorter than recent prep races we have seen, such as the Martha Washington and the Busanda but it still will attract a field of eleven fillies. Last year, the race was won by Nasca Lines, a Delta Farms filly who would end up finishing fifth in the KYO. She has continued to run well and won the Grade 1 La Brea last month. Here’s a look at those who trying to become the next name added to the list:

1- Atomic Fury (Red Fox Farms, ridden by Edg Perez)- Finished her two-year-old season winning back-to-back races, including the $100.000 Wait A While here in November. Following that, she would head west and had an extremely heartbreaking result, finishing sixth but still being within a length of the winner. She’s rightfully back in this type of race and just needs a little more luck more than anything else.

2- Fire Will Come (Williams9, ridden by R M Hernandez)- This filly has only made two starts, and broke her maiden last month in a TP sprint. She’s by Whos Afraid, and certainly the trainer is not as he enters here off of that win. Works as good as anyone else here and should not be ruled out though I will look elsewhere.

3- Speed Five (Asgar, ridden by M Franco)- Ended running in the BC Juvenile Fillies last fall, but never was able to get going in that, starting in the back and not passing anyone for the duration of the race. Things got better afterward, when she made a trip to north to take on fellow Canadians in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes. Rebounded with a third-place effort there to put the BC concerns away.

4- Hollywood At Penn (Sim Speed Stable, ridden by J R Velazquez)- In six starts, she has won thrice and has been second on two other occasions. The only subpar outing she has had was the Sorrento Stakes (Grade 3) from August, and that was not necessarily a terrible run, either. Since that point, she is 2-for-3, with a win in her last race, the $100.000 My Trusty Cat at DED at the beginning of November. So, she has had some time to rest and prepare for her three-year-old campaign. Hopefully, it’s not too long of a layoff.

5- Golden Anoush (Our Athletes, ridden by T Gaffalione)- If this race is like all of her other ones, you can count on Golden Anoush being at, or at least near, the front of the field right from the gate. She’s been successful running that, with three wins in four starts and was second on the other occasion. At CD at the end of November, she won the $225.000 Fern Creek and has been resting since that day.

6- Affair (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by S Elliott)- Back in September, Affair looked really good in winning the $125.000 Gimma, for NY Breds, at AQU. However, the three races that surround that one were not as good, running fifth in every race, including two that were also on the NY-bred circuit. It’s still way too early to get concerned, but Affair is going to need to show that it was those races that are the fluke, and not the Gimma. This is a good time for a bounce back.

7- Funny Girl (LionKing Stables, ridden by V Espinoza)- Picked up in private sales for $40.000 in October and has shown her potential since then. In December, she became a stake winner when she captured the $35.000 AZ Breeders Trials- Fillies. A month later, she would learn that graded competition is much tougher, being a non-factor in the Grade 3 Santa Ynez at SA. She was atypically sluggish out of the gate there, so if she can remedy that, perhaps all that is needed to make her a lot more competitive here.

8- Tactical Spin (Alydar Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- After heading to the turf for a spin as a two-year-old, Tactical Spin returned to the main track for an N1X allowance at CD in November that she would win. Following that, it was off to the FG for the Untapable, where she would place second. With some points on the board for the KYO chase, Tactical Spin cuts back on her distance a little bit to try and get 20 more points. Works very well.

9- McGonagall (Delta Farms, ridden by M J Husbands)- Gets the assignment of trying to get her trainer his second straight win in the race. She’s managed two wins over five starts, including the Finest City Stakes at PID, for PA-Breds. She has not built on that any further as she moved to unrestricted company, running in a pair of optional claimers where she fared well, but did not end up in the winner’s circle. This is her first try at a KYO prep.

10- Miss Beer (Greyfriars Stable, ridden by J R Martinez)- The trainer will be hoping that his filly’s last race, a dud in the Grade 2 Golden Rod at CD, can be thrown out and that the previous version of Miss Beer, who won twice and ran second twice in four starts, can be seen again. Prior to the Golden Rod, she had won the $150.000 Tempted, so it seemed like she would be better after that race. With a little time to rest, she needs to step up with a strong effort here.

11- Give Up On Style (Asgar, ridden by P Lopez)- This PA-bred will be the final one to load into the gate. She has had success running against State Breds, and did win the $100.000 Shamrock Rose Stakes in November. A month later, she did not fare as well in the $100.000 Miss Behavior Stakes. Previously, an attempt at the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes also did not go well. Has a “hot and cold” look to her, and I would not give up on Give Up On Style’s chances here to look her best. However, she’s tough to pick in a race like this.

Prediction: 8-5-3-7

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES