The Honorable Miss Handicap- Grade 2 ($200.000 Purse)
SAR- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 24, 2019

Before I begin, I want to apologize for this being a little late. Have to get back in the Saratoga frame of mind of remembering these midweek races! The Honorable Miss promised to be a well balanced and entertaining race, and it ended up being just that. With less then half a furlong to go, the entire field was within a length and a half of one another. Sure, some will say we see that all the time, but it did make for a good race. In the end, British Chai found some room on the rail and made it work to give Mo Mentum Farm his first career win in the stake. The jockey, C Landeros, is also a first time winner! Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:09.15, the second fastest in the history of the race. Let’s look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :22.99)- Getting off to a good start, it is Maxmillion Farm’s Thalassa, and the race’s high weight, Starlite Run, for D J C Racing Stables. These two battle it out, heads apart, at the front end, moving into the opening turn. Huzza is length behind them, and looking to come up right between them for John Henry. Running to his inside, and having an ideal stalking trip while running the rail is our eventual winner, British Chai, for Mo Mentum Farm. It’s a gap of two lengths to the rest of the field, who are three across the track. From inside to outside, it’s Moonlight Bliss (Fractious), Peters Orange (Estero Farms), and Morning Tea (Mb Stables).

(½ Mile- :45.66, Top Of Stretch, 1.7F TO Go)- Thalassa is looking full of run while on the lead and is beginning to outkick Starlite Run. That one remains running on the outside, but seems in jeopardy of losing at least a couple positions at this point. Huzza had run real well, and was looking to make her move by splitting these two. As they moved into the stretch, Thalassa made one mistake, and that was to leave the rail wide open for British Chai to come on through. She wasn’t taking the lane quite yet, but it was certainly there for her. The back three had not lost any ground, but none were making a bid to this point.

(Finish- 1:09.15)- With a furlong to go, this race really gets exciting. Thalassa is doing her best to hang on to the lead, and Starlite Run is showing more resiliency then I thought she was going to do at this stage. Huzza was still between them, but not making progress. Meanwhile, the inside was still open, and British Chai was making it count, cutting in to the race lead. We also saw a nice bid here from Moonlight Bliss, trying to move to the outside of British Chai. Approaching the wire, there would be a tight finish, but British Chai would have just a little more energy to beat her rivals by a head. It was very close for second, with Thalassa getting the head bob over Moonlight Bliss. Huzza held for fourth over the closing Peters Orange. Starlite Run, only very late, lost some energy, and gets sixth, over Morning Tea. No one in this field had a bad race.

About The Winner- British Chai, trained by Mo Mentum Farm, and ridden to victory by C Landeros, is a four year old fully by Spanish Chai, and is out of British Empress. She was bred in Florida by Blazin D, and acquired by Mo Mentum Farm in private sales, after just one race, for $70.000 in December 2017. The win is her fifth in 20 starts, and her third stake win, all of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $534.410.

Track: Fast
Scratched: Marley Mills

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES