The Miss Grillo (Grade 2) (BC)- $200.000 Purse
AQU- For Fillies Two Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Inner Turf
October 1, 2022

It is an exciting Saturday of action at AQU this weekend, as the track hosts a total of four BC point paying races, and all of them are for two year olds. Given the popularity of two year old racing in our virtual world, all eyes will certainly be at the Big A. Here we will look at The Miss Grillo, which is for two year old fillies, run on the inner turf course. It is the 19th time that the race has been run, and the first time that it will be held here at AQU, as like the other stakes here right now, it would traditionally be run at BEL and will be again next year. The 2021 race was won by YME Stable, and his filly, Crepellana. She would go on to run in the BC Juvenile Turf, but struggled in that race, as well a race afterwards in January. We have not seen her back on the track since then, though she is still listed as active. This year, we will have eleven going to post, as we did have an early scratch here. Let’s take a look at the runners.

#1- I Have To Chai (Oval Express Farms, ridden by S Elliott)- Broke her maiden at LS at the beginning of July, and off of that the trainer sent her to the $500.000 KD Juvenile Fillies last month. Unfortunately, the rains would also come, leaving the turf course soft, and I Have To Chai did not take well to the condition of the track. We can forgive that, but she was nearly a full second behind the next closest horse in front of her, and that does get my attention. Regardless, there is a 79% chance of rain at AQU Saturday, as of press time.

#2- Queen Of Diamonds (Nakamura Stables, ridden by R M Hernandez)- After struggling in her first two races, Queen Of Diamonds was dropped all the way down to FP to break her maiden. She did, on the main track and at over a mile, but I have to wonder why the horse needed to be dropped so far if the trainer had confidence in her. She’s being moved to the grass, and has a nice work to back her up, but I will be looking elsewhere.

#3- Greek (Mb Stables, ridden by L Saez)- This horse also struggled in her first two career races, but she did not need to be dropped down the ranks as hard as Queen Of Diamonds would be. Instead, Arindel put her in a $50.000 claimer, and Mb Stables put in the claim. She won that race, and Mb would send her to the $150.000 Johnson at SAR last month, and Greek would get the win there as well. Her work times do not really stand out, but clearly she is getting it done on the track, and that’s where it matters!

#4- Nevada Jess (Nakamura Stables, ridden by L J Luzzi)- After finishing second in races at FP and SAC, Nevada Jess was sent to LAD where she would break her maiden running at the distance today, on the grass. It was a decisive five length win, but the question will be how excited to we want to get over it. Has good turf works coming into this, so she might get the job done here but this is her toughest assignment yet.

#5- Osiyo (The Freakshow, ridden by J C Ferrer)- Failed to break her maiden in her first three starts, but took on good company in them, including two of them being for triple digit purses. She would finally break through in her last race, which came after being dropped into a race at LAD. It was an impressive four length win at five furlongs, and now she will go long for the first time. Her last work, coming right here on the 24th, was exciting and if she can translate that into a race, she will be one of the top horses here.

#6- Beau Belle (Big Guns Stables, ridden by I C Wenc)- We have only seen this filly in one race so far, and it came in late August at FE, at a mile on the grass. In the race, she routed the field, winning by eight lengths. For previous trainer Fractious, that was not enough to keep her out of the auction, and she would be sold to Big Guns Stables for $95.010. This will be their first race together, and it is very interesting to see how she builds on that last race.

#7- Stick Low (Arindel, ridden by J R Velazquez)- From the horse with the least amount of starts, to the one with the most, thus far. Stick Low has raced six times, and has done a good job finishing in the money, with one win and four places in those starts. In every race with Arindel, she has raced for a triple digit purse, so the money has been coming in quite well. Last month in the $150.000 Johnson, she set the early pace before settling for second, half a length behind Greek. No reason why she can’t flip that script here.

#8- Long Term Parking (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by M Franco)- In her third start, Long Term Parking won a $123.200 maiden, and off of that the trainer was hoping for success at the stake level. Up to this point, the filly has not produced, with disappointing finishes in both the Grade 3 Schuylerville and the $200.000 Sorority Stakes. So now, she is being moved to the grass in hopes that will be the answer. Has no recent public turf works to look at, however.

#9- Coin Neckless (Oquinn Farm, ridden by F T Alvarado)- Out on the west coast, Coin Neckless would break her maiden in her fourth start, coming at a mile on the grass. With that result behind her, she would head east and run in the Johnson at SAR, where she would place third. In that race, she was within a length of the winner, Greek, and with the top three finishers there running in such close proximity all being back here, it is exciting to see their rematch.

#10- Fun Dip (Rampage Stable, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- She would make her debut at FP on the main track, and that would not go well. That did not matter, as after two and a half months of rest, she would be sent a mile on the turf at MTH, and she would get the job done. Off of that, she makes her stake debut and I like that she has a race with similar conditions under her belt already even if her SRF (81) for the race does not stand out.

#11- Forever Sweet- Scratched

#12- Rafting (Fractious, ridden by A Cedillo)- Finally, starting on the outside will be a filly who was last seen running second in the $65.000 Sharp Susan at GP. She just missed in that turf sprint, and it would have been her second win. Prior to that, she struggled in a $127.000 allowance, but perhaps she was just waiting to be moved to the grass and we can throw that out. As long as she can carry her speed, she should be a threat. Does not have any recent works of length to get a feel of that.

Prediction: 3-5-9-7

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES