The Noble Damsel
1 Mile Inner Turf Stake Purse $150.000 Filly & Mare 3 Year Olds And Up.

1st Youthful Thoughts Greyhound Rosario J

First of all, a huge congratulations to Greyhound on this win. A player that has only been here at HRP since the 4th of July this year and one that, in this victory, displayed all the skill of a veteran player. This was some claim bringing this 6-year-old mare from the free track for $15.000 after just two claiming wins from 5 starts for Spinetingling who had picked the horse up for $1.000 at the auctions. She was a fair way behind for much of the race but cruised up and went past them like she was the stakes mare racing claimers not the other way round, going clear to win by a length. I have no idea whether this is the start of a momentous resurrection or just a one off but either way today was a huge win.
I suppose the other thing we need to talk about is how this 200/1 shot won this race so easily when you consider all that was against her doing so. I mean no disrespect to the trainer’s achievement here, but we have long understood that development could be stunted if racing below the horse’s grade and the fact that this one had been running at the free track, like a good few other big winners recently, suggests that certainly isn’t the case. The second thing is how did this horse go from winning a $15.000 claimer at MNR to a stakes win in a second quicker time?
Well as unlikely as it sounds there were signs, but these signs were all on display when she was racing for her previous owner in much lower grade. Her public breezes have always been quick; in fact, they are no quicker now than they were when she was being beaten at the free track but nevertheless, they were the sort of works you would expect from a stakes winner and not a free track horse.
So why today? Well we have seen these huge leaps in development after a claim or sale before, so maybe there is something in that, maybe it is just that in the last month or so she has zoomed up her improvement curve, maybe it was instructions or maybe it was just one of those racing anomalies that happens both in real life and HRP. The phrase every dog has its day was not coined from imagination.
I hope for the trainer’s sake this one goes on to many more big wins, if the magic formula has been found there seems to be no reason why not.

2nd Inamorata Sheffler Stables Carmouche K

She ran similar splits to when she won a PRX optional Claimer earlier in the year and when she won a decent allowance at DMR last time so the way she got brushed aside in the final furlong was surprising to say the least. She ran well enough today but is struggling to make her mark in this sort of company.

3rd Arosha Spb Racing Rodriguez Jam

The three-year-old showed early speed but could never assert and in the end the mile beat her. She faded into third, but this is her second placing in ungraded stakes so there does seem to be some upside with her as she has a lot more time than some of the others to improve further.

4th Spaceship Force Nakamura Stables Silvera Ru

The three on-speed here set it up for the closer although she ran better last time over the same course and distance using similar tactics. She was the first of the pace setters to break and ended up a rather tired fourth.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded