CD Distaff Turf Mile (Grade 2)- $300.000 Purse
CD- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile on the Turf
May 5, 2018

On Saturday, as we get ready for the KYD, we will be treated to the 2018 running of the CD Distaff Turf Mile, a race that was once Attraction’s playground. That legendary member of Mm Racing won the race in both 2015 and 2016. She has since been retired, and is starting to produce some foals that we’d love to see become just as good, so her legacy can continue. This year, we see an impressive field of eight with multiple winners of $1,000.000-plus in their careers. It’s a field worthy of being run on Derby Day at CD, so don’t spend all your money on the KYD, and take a shot on this race as well! Here is the field!

#1- Ghost Runner (Sizing Europe Lodge, ridden by E Trujillo)- Ran in some high profile Grade 1’s last year, and while the finishes were not always there, she did manage a runner up showing at the Diana. After a late September race, she sat around a while and was auctioned off in December to Sizing Europe Lodge for $270.010. In her two races since, she has produced consecutive 100 SRF’s. She’s cutting back on her distance here, and will hope that is the secret for a return to the winners circle.

#2- Notarized Kate (Pristine Stables, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- I have been a fan of her, but as we head into this race, we may start to wonder if it is time for her to move on. She looked to be tailing off a bit once in her career, then had a nice resurrection. Now it is time for that to happen again. The results have not necessarily been bad, but they have not been up to the standard that is expected out of Notarized Kate. Turning to the grass is interesting, as she has tried it just once before. She likes wet tracks, and the rain forecast for Saturday has gone from being at 20% on Wednesday to now being 80%. Notarized Kate won’t complain. Trainer is also having a tough start to the year and love a big win.

#3- Hide N Seek Pup (Gdp Inc, ridden by E Maldonado)- She isn’t going to be able to hide under the radar anymore. This pup has been seeking to move her career forward, and recently she has achieved strong results at the graded level. Back in February, she won the Grade 3 Suwannee River, and I remember that race pretty well in that I was impressed with her performance there. Moving up the ladder a bit, she ran third in the Santa Ana Stakes, a Grade 2 last month. This is similar to that race in the conditions, but the field quality is much stronger. I find it to be an intriguing test for her, and am rather interested to see how she fares here.

#4 -Well Built (Smokey Stover, ridden by R J Albarado)- A consistent four year old with seven wins in 13 starts, and has only failed to hit the board twice in her career. One of those races is a second place showing at the BC Fillies and Mares Turf. She’s been sold a couple times, with good price tags associated with the sales, and wound up at Smokey Stover in March, for $500.770, so he surely believes that there is plenty left in the tank with this one. I see no reason to believe otherwise, and do think she is the one to beat here. If it rains, she has no experience on a wet track, so that may be a concern.

#5- Pip Kadabra (Chili King Stables, ridden by J Talamo)- Veteran five year old was working in March, so should be poised for a good race that will hopefully return to the form that was able to win the Grade 1 Flower Bowl last October. That victory got her in the BC Fillies and Mares Turf, but that race did not go well. In 2018, she has been ok, but the trainer could use a big run for her. Seemed to do well trying to come from behind in the Grade 1 Wiley. I believe she will have one of her better races here, but it’s a tough crowd she needs to be beat.

#6- Deserves It (Mb Stables, ridden by F Pennington)- Riding a hot streak, Deserves It looks to pick up her sixth consecutive win as she runs in graded company for just the second time. The majority of the wins in that stretch have been allowances, including a $15.000 TUP allowance score in the race following her Grade 3 Athenia win. It’s good to see her back at this level again, as she seems to well, deserve it. A perfect five-for-five going at least a mile, and has never failed to hit the board.

#7- Isolated (Mb Stables, ridden by L H Colon)- The second of two Mb Stables entries is not on the same sort of winning streak, but Isolated has been very consistent herself. She has won five of ten, and only once has she failed to hit the board. She can’t quite call herself a graded stake winner, but her efforts at this level have been very close, especially her last effort, running second in a close photo to Trump Princess in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine. They’ll be side to side in the starting here, as Isolated hopes to return the favor.

#8- Trump Princess (Winning Link Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- This four year old filly, who was bred by Lanfranco Stable (surprised?), has been excellent in her last four starts. In those races, which correspond to when she advanced to the graded level, she has two wins, and two third place finishes. The most recent race came in the Royal Heroine, at SA, and in a thrilling stretch run against Isolated, she came out on top. She’s consistent, and if the rain comes down, she has shown the ability to handle it, even if it was a while ago.

Prediction: 4-8-7-1

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES