A strong race this year. The defending champion, Stephanies Kitten and Fiesolana headline a group of horses who should relish 10 furlongs.
The Skinny:
Fiesolana is stretching out but she intrigues on many levels. Has been running shorter but should like the distance, likes to draft behind horses and has several performances that can win this race. Price should be right and is a winner with a 9 for 22 lifetime record. Matron Stakes G1 win 2 starts back.
Emollient is a mystery inside an enigma! On her best day she runs races that are very strong, but back to back efforts and 10 furlongs is always a question. Good horses make good trips, but some races she doesn’t fire. I don’t think she fits pace wise in this race.
Stephanies’ Kitten – woke up with a huge effort last race, moved earlier and made all the difference, but I didn’t like the overall complexion of that field. I think she comes in a little dressed up and may not be in the top form needed to win a race like this. Still she is all class but her stretch kick may not look as impressive in this race.
Dank won this race last year and seems off form. The goal has been to get back to this race and Sir Michael Stoute can’t be thrown out very easily in a race he points for. Definitely not a single, but have to respect. The Europeans are in a league of their own.
Just the Judge won the Woodbine race and ran a bang up 3rd at Arlington Park. She seems a cut below a G1 quality full field and was all out 2 weeks ago. But loves the distance and will be rolling late int a pace that should be contested. Has some grit in her runs and really only ran the last quarter of mile at Woodbine, even at 90% she can compete with these.
Miss Serendipity is a horse who is made for the Breeders Cup. She needs a full field and hot pace to run her best race. When she runs late she has a electryfying burst of speed and can pass several horses quickly. Longshot with a chance.
Dayatthespa is versatile runner who prefers 8 to 9 furlongs. Will get good position and try to slow down the pace. This is a hard race to try to “steal” so she will need to run a career race to come away with the win. Runs huge at Keeneland will have to bring that move West.
Secret Gesture is another European with overall superior form and conditioning than the American horses. Loves the distance, has a stoudt pedigree and 10 for 11 in the money, have to take a long look. The last race in France served notice. Strong 3rd place finish took the lead and was out run late in the race but that was on a much more demanding course than Santa Anita. Have a feeling she will look for some cover and unleash the speed going into the turn.
The Choice:
Wide open race – the Euro’s look to dominate – they can have 2 horses falter and still take home the top spots. They may run 1-2-3 in this race. Fiesolana is my top choice Secret Gesture and Dank are in my top 3, but contention runs 6 deep.
Tosses:
Stephanies Kitten and Emollient are complete tosses in the win pools, daily doubles and pic 3s.