The Bolton Landing ($150.000 Purse)
SAR- For Fillies Two Years Old
Five and a Half Furlongs on the Turf
August 21, 2022

Not many people thought that To Sheila had much of a chance in the Bolton Landing, as she would go off as a massive longshot. Her odds: 191/1. She wasn’t one of our picks either, and her last start coming into the race did not generate excitement. This would also be her turf debut, and there was only one public turf work that we could look at. In a two year old race, anything can happen as great horses are just realizing their potential, and it turns out that trainer South Shore Stables made a terrific decision in running the filly here. Those few that picked her at the betting window will be almost as happy, for sure. For the trainer, this is their first win in the stake, and that is also true for jockey F Prat. Congratulations to them! The race was won in a time of 1:02.77, the third quickest in the history of the race. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :22.59)- As the race begins, we have a four way battle for the race lead, and none of them are able to clear the others down the frontstretch and moving into the turn. The slight edge by a neck goes to the four wide horse, Flipped And Popped, the post time favorite from Gdp Inc. Dolly P, who was our pick to win, is second for Arindel in the second lane with the Mb Stables- trained Sweet Feet running between them. Fourth, and on the rail, it is Asgar’s Jersey Childe. Situated in a stalking position right behind them are both Risky Maneuver (Mb Stables) and Ideal Flirt (Lindeman Prairie), and at the back of the pack, our eventual winner from South Shore Stables, To Sheila, is all by herself.

(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Around the turn we go, and Flipped And Popped battles for the lead with Dolly P, and they match each others stride for now. They didn’t quite clear both Sweet Feet and Jersey Childe, but they were looking better than them here, and were about three quarters of a length ahead. Those two held their lines, and were still very much capable of winning the dash in the stretch. Risky Maneuver would have to do as her name implied, and swing out five wide entering the top of the stretch, though Ideal Flirt was in a better situation, since a lane opened up right in front of her. To Sheila was still at the back, but still very much in reach of the leaders. Entering the stretch, she was positioned to come up right through the middle of the field, while following the lane that Dolly P was in.

(Finish- 1:02.77)- With about 0.7F to go, it didn’t look much different than it would have when they left the starting gate. They were now seven wide across the track with Dolly P winning the polite horse of the race award for her courtesy in moving down a little bit to allow To Sheila have room to go to her inside. To Sheila closed up on this group rather quickly, so given that you had to really like her chances on winning the dash over the final half furlong. She would do that, but it did not come easy as Risky Maneuver ran gamely to the wire as well, making her earn it. In the end, it is To Sheila by a half length over Risky Maneuver as these two convincingly outkick the rest of the field late to the point where third place Ideal Flirt was beaten by two and a half lengths. She edged out Dolly P for that spot, with Flipped and Popped and Jersey Childe close by. It was another length to Sweet Feet.

About The Winner- To Sheila, trained by South Shore Stables and ridden to victory by F Prat, is a two year old filly by Scott The Great and is out of The Fates. She was bred in California as a yearling by South Shore Stables, the only trainer for which she has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her second in four starts and first stake win. Her career earnings are now $108.000.

Track: Firm
Time: :22²  :45²  :57   1:02³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 5 Paid 2,741.40
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 5 – 3 Paid 1,079.60

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded