Wiley – Grade I
1 1/16 Mile Turf Stake Purse $650.000 Filly & Mare 4 Year Olds And Up.

1st Poetic Panther Maletto Rodriguez Jam

The fact that this mare went off at 12/1 reflected what a strong field this was. Traveling wide and off the speed the rider didn’t panic which was key, if they had pushed forward to try and find the rail, the race would’ve been lost but she stayed out in clear air and her tenacity did the rest. Last season when she went on a run of wins culminating in the grade one Diana, she looked like a BC winner in the making but a car park draw in the championship race gave her little chance and she did very well in the end to be fifth just a couple of lengths off the winner. Her form has been building this year with two good places and now she has added another grade one to her already impressive tally she can be spoken about in the same breath as the great mares she beat today. She only held on by a nose in the end and I am not sure she likes the BC trip but there are plenty of good wins left in this five-year-old.

2nd Lady Hilltopper Black N Gold Stable Gutierrez Mario

The ace draw can be tough if you don’t hold the others off the rail and she got crossed pretty early making her fall back. When she wanted to make her run, she was blocked on two occasions but even with those blocks looked like she may get home. To the naked eye and on the Atari viewer, I thought she had but the result went her rival’s way and today she had to settle for second. This run certainly won’t harm her chances in the BC over a trip that suits her much better and now she seems to have the measure of Painville, I think she may be my early favorite for the big one.

3rd Secret Of A Lady Mb Stables Buick W T

Whether it was by design, great tactics or just the AI sorting things out we had the three Mb stables runners leading, stalking and trailing. This one was in the trail and had to go round the entire field to make her challenge. She got very close in the end, but the track ran out and she is another who will appreciate the BC trip.

4th Painville Mo Mentum Farm Geroux F

The great champion mare didn’t have a comfortable trip today and just whacked away in the end. Like the two other beaten mares I think she will be better over the BC trip, and I look forward to at least one more great race between these mares before the big day.

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES