Posts Tagged ‘KBC Horse Supplies’

All eyes will be on last year’s champion fillies, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, as they both make their 2010 debuts on Saturday. While the Steve Asmussen-trained Rachel Alexandra is set to race in the ungraded New Orleans Ladies Stakes at the Fair Grounds (approx. post time 6:15 e.t.), Zenyatta has her sights set on the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita. The John Shirreffs-trained Zenyatta will carry 127 lbs., conceding up to 19 lbs. to her opponents, which include Striking Dancer, Floating Heart and Pretty Unusual. The Santa Margarita is 1 1/8 miles on the Pro-Ride surface; the scheduled post-time is 6:40 e.t.

Also, on Saturday’s card at Santa Anita is the G2 San Felipe, a Derby prep at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The line-up appears familiar with the first three finishers from the Feb. 13 G2 Robert B. Lewis in action again—Caracortado, Dave In Dixie and American Lion.

The other Derby prep of interest is the G2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park. Shipping in from California is 2009 2-year-old champion Lookin at Lucky, who will be making his 2010 bow for trainer Bob Baffert and regular rider Garrett Gomez. Others in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel with possible Kentucky Derby aspirations are Noble’s Promise, Cardiff Giant and Dublin. Three-year-old fillies are in the spotlight in the G3 Honeybee, also 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. Heading the field is Decelerator, a stakes winner at Oaklawn on Feb. 13. Brereton Jones’s homebred No Such Word and Beautician, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, are entered as well.

Tampa Bay Downs will host a 12-race card on Saturday which includes three graded stakes. Eclipse winner She Be Wild will try to avenge her fifth-place finish in the Forward Gal in the G3 Florida Oaks (1 1/16 miles on turf for 3-year-old fillies). The G3 Hillsborough, for older females at 1 1/8 miles on turf showcases Mushka, the favorite at 5-2 on the morning line, Lady Shakespeare, and Tottie, who is undefeated in two U.S. starts. The Tampa Bay Derby (G3) has a contentious 7-horse field headed by slight favorite Super Saver. Making his 2010 debut here, the Todd Pletcher trainee last won the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs by five lengths in November.

The Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) at one mile on the dirt for older horses will take place Saturday at the South Florida racetrack of the same name. The morning line favorite is This Ones for Phil, from Rick Dutrow’s barn. He will face two entries from Kiaran McLaughlin’s shedrow—Grasshopper and Past the Point, as well as Harlem Rocker (Todd Pletcher) and Cool Coal Man (Nick Zito).

Sunday’s Gulfstream program features the G2 Inside Information, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares on the main track. The top four finishers of last month’s Hurricane Bertie return for Inside Information. Kays and Jays was the winner of the 6 1/2-furlong Hurricane Bertie, who outfinished Tar Heel Mom, Warbling and Pretty Prolific.

There have been concerns all week about a possible storm hitting Southern California on Santa Anita Handicap day, but the current forecast calls for only light rain in late afternoon and on Saturday night, so the Big ‘Cap show will go on without the threat of cancellation due to drainage problems on the synthetic main track that have plagued the current meet.

Santa Anita’s 11-race card featuring four graded stakes gets off to an early start, with a noon local or 3 p.m. Eastern first post. The Santa Anita Handicap goes as the 10th race, with an approximate post time of 8:02 Eastern.
 
With high weight in this handicap assigned just 117 pounds, it’s clear there is no standout in the Big ‘Cap field, but it’s an outstanding betting race with 14 starters and many serious contenders. The 5-year-old mare St. Trinians was installed the 7-2 morning line favorite off the strength of four consecutive victories since coming to the United States from England and joining the barn of trainer Mike Mitchell, her last win coming in the Grade 1 Santa Maria Handicap. No filly or mare has ever won the Big ‘Cap.

French import Loup Breton, winner of the San Marcos in his third American start for trainer Julio Canani, is second choice on the morning line at 4-1. He’ll be making his first start on synthetics after racing on turf throughout his career.

Dakota Phone, beaten at head last out at 34-1 in the San Antonio Handicap by Richards Kid, gives trainer Jerry Hollendorfer a chance to sweep two Grade 1 races on the card. He’s 20-1 on the morning line in the Big ‘Cap but has to be considered off that last race, while the top-class 3-year-old filly Blind Luck looks to have her six rivals over a barrel in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks as the 1-2 morning favorite. The daughter of Pollard’s Vision was 1-5 when she won the Grade 1 Las Virgenes last time out by a nose, getting a favorable head bob at the wire to beat longshot Evening Jewel, who is not in the Oaks lineup.

The Oaks goes at 6:57 p.m. Eastern time.

The third Grade 1 of the card, the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap, is topped by Ever a Friend, who gives the aforementioned Mitchell a chance for two Grade 1 victories on the day, heady stuff for the longtime claiming trainer. The Kilroe, scheduled on turf, goes at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

The final graded stakes on the Big ‘Cap card is the rescheduled Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds, a Grade 3 event at 1 1/8 miles on the synthetic track. Nextdoorneighbor is the tepid 3-1 morning line choice but don’t overlook Eoin Harty-trained Kettle River. The son of Congaree comes off a hard-fought allowance win in his third career start. The Sham is schedule at 6:24 p.m. Eastern.

All the Santa Anita races will be shown on HRTV.

Just a smattering of graded stakes action will take place this weekend. Saturday’s Santa Anita card features the Grade 3 Sham for 3-year-olds and though the field has no graded stakes winners in it, an outstanding showing at the 1 1/8-mile distance could put the winner in the Derby picture. Bob Baffert’s The Program, a son of Harlan’s Holiday, won an allowance race by a nose on Feb. 3 and hopes to improve off that. Also in the entries is Kettle River, from Eoin Harty’s barn; due to illness, Kettle River missed a week of training but Harty thinks he up to this task.

Fillies and mares will be in the spotlight on Saturday at Gulfstream Park when three graded stakes will be presented—the G2 Davona Dale, G3 The Very One and G3 Sabin. The Davona Dale, for 3-year-olds at a mile on the dirt, has attracted a contentious field of eight, including Bickersons, who recently ran away in the Forward Gal, defeating Eclipse Award champ She Be Wild. Also entered is Amen Hallelujah, off a winning performance in the G2 Santa Ynez at Santa Anita, and Sassy Image, who brings a three-race win streak into the Davona Dale.

None of the starters in The Very One have won a turf race at the 1 3/8-mile distance, but that didn’t seem to be a discouragement, as an overflow field of 14 was entered. Among the starters are Lady Shakespeare, runner-up in the Marshua’s River, Long Approach, second in the G2 La Prevoyante last spring, and Glen Hill Farm’s homebred Closeout, who most recently finished fourth in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita.

Jessica Is Back is entered for the main track only in The Very One, but she will likely start in the one-mile Sabin, a contest on the dirt for older females. The 6-year-old daughter of Put It Back will have to face Justwhistledixie, 2009 winner of the Davona Dale and Bonnie Miss, whose last out was a fourth-place finish over Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface in the G2 El Encino.

On Sunday at Gulfstream Park, older males will take to the turf in the G2 Mac Diarmida. Like The Very One, the Mac Diarmida is also run at 1 3/8 miles, and has drawn a field of eight with one also-eligible if the race is taken off the turf. Presious Passion hopes to use this race as a springboard to the Dubai Sheema Classic, to be run in a month from now. The 7-year-old gelding will attempt to defend his 2009 Mac Diarmida title; he was runner-up to Conduit in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and finished fifth in his 2010 debut while trying for his third straight W.L. McKnight victory at Calder.

Due to wind and rain, live racing is cancelled at Aqueduct Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, the 27th.

Kentucky Derby preps are in full swing across the country with more than a few contenders from the 2007 foal crop hoping to emerge as stars. Gulfstream Park will present two graded stakes for 3-year-olds, the Hutcheson, at seven furlongs, and the 1 1/8-mile Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth, both Grade 2. In the Hutcheson, Rick Dutrow has two entries, Radiohead and D’Funnybone, the likely favorite. Rick’s brother, Tony Dutrow, also has an entry in the Hutcheson, A Little Warm. Nick Zito’s Jackson Bend will face nine rivals in the Fountain of Youth. The diminutive son of Hear No Evil had a five-race win streak broken in his last out when he ran second to Winslow Homer in the Holy Bull. His biggest challenger appears to be Remsen winner Buddy’s Saint.

Gulfstream has also carded a pair of complementary G3 grass races for older horses on Saturday—for the ladies it’s the Honey Fox and the guys run in the Canadian Turf. An overflow field has entered the Honey Fox, including Bluegrass Princess, Backseat Rhythm, and Quiet Harbor, who brings with her a string of five consecutive wins. Courageous Cat makes his 2010 debut in the Canadian Turf; he finished his 2009 campaign with a sensational runner-up effort to Eclipse Award winner Goldikova in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

After inclement weather at Oaklawn Park forced the cancellation of last Monday’s G3 Southwest Derby, it was rescheduled for Saturday. Conveyance, Cardiff Giant and Domonation, the first three finishers in the San Rafael Stakes, shipped in from California and all remained on the grounds and re-entered one mile test.

At the Fair Grounds, the spotlight will be on 3-year-olds in the G3 Silverbulletday, for fillies, and the G2 Risen Star, for colts and geldings. Both races are 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. In the Silverbulletday, Todd Pletcher’s Devil May Care is the slight morning-line favorite over the Dale Romans-trained Quiet Temper. A full field of 12 goes to the gate in the Risen Star; the top choices here are Bill Mott’s Drosselmeyer, and from the Tom Amoss barn, Ron the Greek.

Also, at Fair Grounds on Saturday, two other G3 stakes will be run for older horses—the Mineshaft, at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt, and the Fair Grounds Handicap, 1 1/8 miles on turf. The one-two finishers in the Jan. 23 Louisiana Handicap, Friesan Fire and General Quarters, will face off again in the Mineshaft, while the Fair Grounds Handicap has attracted the likes of Acting Zippy, Transduction Gold and the now 10-year-old Silverfoot. Giant Oak is entered as well, but will run only if the race is transferred to dirt.

The other graded Derby prep on Saturday is the G3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California. Ranger Heartley and Connemara are the likely favorites among eight entered in the 1 1/8-mile dirt contest; they ran first and second, respectively, in the Jan. 16 California Derby.

Saturday’s Santa Anita card features the G2 San Carlos Handicap, a seven furlong dirt race for 4-year-olds and up. Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Dancing In Silks hopes to rebound from his third-place finish in the Palos Verdes and earn a trip to the Golden Shaheen in Dubai in late March. His day could be spoiled by Ventana, runner-up in the Palos Verdes, or the speed demon, Bob Black Jack, off since winning the 2008 Malibu.

On Sunday, the only graded stakes action takes place at Santa Anita with the running of the G2 San Luis Obispo Handicap for older horses on the turf at the marathon distance of  1 ½ miles. Obrigado, now a 7-year-old, won this race in 2007 and makes his seasonal debut here. The Neil Drysdale trainee will face eight rivals, including his stablemate Bourbon Bay.

 Mother Nature has wreaked havoc on racetracks coast-to-coast. Racing was cancelled last Saturday at Santa Anita; all three graded stakes will be run this Saturday, Feb. 13, in addition to the Grade 2 Santa Maria. Santa Anita’s 10-race program will feature five stakes races, including the G1 Las Virgenes and a pair of Grade 2s, the Strub and the Robert B. Lewis. The Las Virgenes has attracted a field of six 3-year-old fillies to go once around the all-weather track. Blind Luck will be heavily favored based on her final three starts in 2009—she won the G1 Oak Leaf before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, and ended the year with a seven-length win in G1 Hollywood Starlet. Among those taking on Blind Luck will be Crisp, winner of G3 Santa Ysabel, and Switch, third in G2 Santa Ynez.

The first two finishers in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic will square off in the G2 Santa Maria, the 8th race on the card. In the 1 1/16-mile dirt test, Life Is Sweet will make her 2010 debut against Florida invader Mushka.

Trainer Bob Baffert has his eyes on a couple prizes Saturday. If Misremembered can prove himself in the Strub, he’ll head for the Santa Anita Handicap, more familiarly known as the Big ‘Cap, next month. Misremembered, a ridgling son of Candy Ride last ran second to M One Rifle in the G1 Malibu. The nine-furlong Strub, for 4-year-olds, has also attracted Smart Bid and Rendezvous, second and third, respectively in the G2 San Fernando.

Baffert hopes to have yet another Kentucky Derby prospect with Tiz Chrome. The son of Tiznow comes into the 1 1/16-mile Robert B. Lewis with just two starts, but his debut at Churchill Downs and his winning performance in the Stuka Stakes at Hollywood were eye-catching. Facing him will be Eoin Harty-trained American Lion, also a son of Tiznow, who won the Hollywood Prevue.

At Gulfstream Park on Saturday, a pair of graded sprints will be featured—the G3 Hurricane Bertie, for older fillies and mares going six-and-a-half furlongs, and the G2 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship, seven furlongs for males, four and up. The first three finishers from the G3 Sugar Swirl (Pretty Prolific, Warbling and Tar Heel Mom) are entered in the Hurricane Bertie, as well as a pair shipping in from California, Pinkarella and Kays and Jays. Barring wet track conditions, Munnings will be favored in the Sprint Championship, despite his lengthy absence from the track.

Tampa Bay Downs will host two G3 stakes on Saturday. The spotlight will be on Rule in the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis. The WinStar Farm homebred has a three-race win coming in, including his most recent win in the Delta Jackpot. Lady Shakespeare takes on an overflow field in the Endeavour, a 1 1/16 mile race for older fillies and mares.

The 1 1/8-mile G2 La Canada on Sunday’s Santa Anita program has attracted a full field of 14 4-year-old fillies, including Stardom Bound, runner-up in the El Encino. Among those facing her are Pretty Unusual, winner of the El Encino, and Unrivaled Belle, who beat Stardom Bound last November in the Gazelle.

On Monday’s Presidents Day card at Laurel, two graded stakes will be presented–the Barbara Fritchie (for fillies and mares) and General George Handicaps. Both are G2 races, run at seven furlongs on the dirt. The General George has such familiar names as The Roundhouse and Ah Day in the entries; Royale Michele, assigned high weight of 121 lbs., takes on a full field in the Barbara Fritchie, spotting her rivals four to 11 lbs.

Holiday racing at Santa Anita will feature the G2 San Vicente, for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on the Pro-Ride surface, and the G2 Buena Vista Handicap, whose probable entries include Cat by the Tale and Tuscan Evening. The Buena Vista is a one-mile turf affair for older fillies and mares.

The most interesting of the Feb. 15 graded stakes may by the G3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park for 3-year-olds going one mile. Shipping in from California are Conveyance, Cardiff Giant and Domonation, the first three finishers in the San Rafael Stakes.

UPDATE: Santa Anita has cancelled its Saturday racing program due to heavy rain and ongoing drainage problems with its main track Pro-Ride surface.

On Saturday, Santa Anita’s 10-race program will feature five stakes races, including the Grade 1 Las Virgenes and a pair of Grade 2s, the Strub and the Robert B. Lewis. The Las Virgenes has attracted a field of six 3-year-old fillies to go once around the all-weather track. Blind Luck will be heavily favored based on her final three starts in 2009—she won the G1 Oak Leaf before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, and ended the year with a seven-length win in G1 Hollywood Starlet. Among those taking on Blind Luck will be Crisp, winner of G3 Santa Ysabel, and Switch, third in G2 Santa Ynez.

Trainer Bob Baffert has his eyes on a couple prizes Saturday. If Misremembered can prove himself in the Strub, he’ll head for the Santa Anita Handicap, more familiarly known as the Big ‘Cap, next month. Misremembered, a ridgling son of Candy Ride last ran second to M One Rifle in the G1 Malibu. The nine-furlong Strub, for 4-year-olds, has also attracted Smart Bid and Rendezvous, second and third, respectively in the G2 San Fernando.

Baffert hopes to have yet another Kentucky Derby prospect with Tiz Chrome. The son of Tiznow comes into the 1 1/16-mile Robert B. Lewis with just two starts, but his debut at Churchill Downs and his winning performance in the Stuka Stakes at Hollywood were eye-catching. Facing him will be Eoin Harty-trained American Lion, also a son of Tiznow, who won the Hollywood Prevue.

Across the country, Gulfstream Park will be hosting three graded stakes, highlighted by G1 Donn Handicap, for older horses going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Quality Road is high weight at 123 lbs., based on his powerful performance in G3 Hal’s Hope where he drew off in the final furlong defeating You and I Forever by nearly three lengths. Quality Road spots six to nine pounds to his nine rivals which include the first four finishers of the Jan. 10 Ft. Lauderdale (G3), as well as You and I Forever.

Hoping to make his 2010 debut a winning one, Court Vision will face five other older horses in the nine-furlong G1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. Rick Dutrow trains Court Vision, who ran third in this event last year, losing to Kip DeVille by less than a length. From Todd Pletcher’s barn comes Take the Points, a two-time Grade 1 winner in 2009.

Also carded at 1 1/8 miles on the turf is the G3 Suwannee River for older fillies and mares. None of the twelve starters in the body of the race have won a graded stakes, making this a very tough spot to find a favorite. One of the strongest contenders may be Lady Shakespeare, winner of four consecutive races at Woodbine in 2009. Christophe Clement has won the Suwannee River four times and has two entered here—Cable and Astrologie.

In deference to the Super Bowl on Sunday, Santa Anita has an early post, with the G2 San Antonio Handicap to be run at approximately 2:00. Carded as the 7th of eight races, the 1 1/8-mile San Antonio is a major prep for the upcoming Big ‘Cap. High-weighted at 120 lbs. is Richard’s Kid, upset winner of the Pacific Classic at Del Mar last September. The Bob Baffert trainee then ended his 2009 campaign with a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Also targeting the Big ‘Cap is Mast Track, winner of the G3 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park in December.

With the Sunshine Millions series taking place on Saturday at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, graded stakes racing is light this weekend, but there are still a couple of interesting contests in the works.

On Saturday, Sam Houston Race Park will host the G3 John B. Connally Turf Handicap. The only graded stakes on the Sam Houston calendar for 2010, the 1 1/8-mile event has attracted a contentious field of 14 starters. The tepid favorite at 4-1 on the morning line is Orientate Express who exits the Zia Park Distance Championship with a runner-up performance. Going Ballistic would appear to be a formidable opponent here; he also last ran in the Zia Park Championship, finishing fourth, about seven lengths behind Orientate Express. His race previous to that, however, he put in a strong rally from the back of the pack to finish third in the G2 Hawthorne Gold Cup. And what would a stakes race in Texas be without an entry from the Steve Asmussen barn? He has a coupled entry here—Ablaze with Spirit and Red Rock Creek.

America’s first Grade 1 race of 2010 takes place on Sunday at Santa Anita when older fillies and mares will be going seven furlongs in the Santa Monica Handicap. Evita Argentina will be tough in this spot. The 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride won three stakes races in 2009 at this distance, the G2 A Gleam Handicap, the G2 San Vicente, and most recently, the G1 La Brea on Santa Anita’s opening day. Also entered is Proviso, making her 2010 debut for Bill Mott. She was previously trained by Bobby Frankel and ended her 2009 campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. If she handles the Pro-Ride surface, Tuscan Evening could be a factor; all of her previous 22 starts have been on turf.

Also on Sunday, the G2 Forward Gal, for 3-year-old fillies, will be run at Gulfstream Park. Eclipse Champion She Be Wild will take on a dozen rivals in the seven furlong race. Trained by Wayne Catalano, She Be Wild will test the dirt track for the first time in her career. Her 5-race juvenile campaign took place on synthetic surfaces, with one defeat which was in the G1 Alcibiades. Undefeated Richiegirlgonewild will see what she’s made of. The Wildcat Heir daughter is three-for-three, including the Old Hat on Jan. 9 where she made every pole a winning one over this same strip. Other entries include Sister Resistor, from Ken McPeek’s barn, and Ailalea, entered by Todd Pletcher.

Kentucky Derby preps are well underway now as tracks across the country begin to winnow out the best 3-year-olds whose paths will converge on May 1 in Louisville. Last week we saw Conveyance win at Santa Anita; this week, the Fair Grounds in Louisiana and Gulfstream Park will host their first major preps of the season.

On Saturday, Fair Grounds is offering six stakes races, including two graded affairs, the G3 LeComte, for Derby hopefuls going a mile and 40 yards, and the G3 Colonel E.R. Bradley, for older horses on the turf. The LeComte, scheduled as the 10th race on the card, has drawn 11 starters. Cool Bullet has a win over the track in the Sugar Bowl Stakes, while two other entrants, Turf Melody and Citrus Kid have minor stakes wins at other tracks. Maximus Ruler is another to consider; the Roman Ruler colt comes off a winning effort in an allowance race at Churchill Downs.

The Col. Bradley, carded as the sixth race, has attracted Princeville Condo, an Illinois-bred who has hit the board in all10 of his career starts, including a stakes win over this course in his last start. The puzzler here is Tybalt–he raced only once last year, but his steady pattern of respectable workouts are promising.

A contentious field of nine will go postward in the G3 Holy Bull, a mile on Gulfstream’s main track. If Homeboykris can run back to his performance in the G1 Champagne, he should win this race; however, his poor fifth-place showing in the G2 Remsen was a head-scratcher. Piscitelli, Aikenite and William’s Kitten all ran in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, finishing fourth, fifth, and eighth, respectively.

The last graded stakes to take place on Saturday is the Palos Verdes Handicap (G2), though racing at Santa Anita at this time is up in the air, depending on the track condition. The heavy rains in Southern California have caused drainage problems on the Pro-Ride surface. Carla Gaines put Dancing in Silks in the entry box but is hesitant to race the Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner for a couple reasons: he drew the inside post, must spot his rivals three to 10 lbs., and though no rain is expected on Saturday, she is still concerned about the condition of the track. Other entrants in the six-furlong Palos Verdes are M One Rifle, winner of G1 Malibu, and Kinsale King, who won his last two starts, including the G3 Vernon O. Underwood at Hollywood Park.

Martin Luther King holiday racing was a casualty of last week’s inclement weather and track condition, thus the G2 San Marcos Handicap, at 1 ¼ miles on turf, was rescheduled for Sunday. Heading the field is Loup Breton, coming off a second-place finish in the G2 San Gabriel Handicap. Among nine other challengers is Muhannak, a 6-year-old gelding by Chester House. The Irish-bred, in the care of Ben Cecil, most recently ran fifth in 2009 Breeders’ Cup Marathon; he won the 2008 edition of that race.

On Saturday, Gulfstream Park will host five sprint stakes, including three Grade 3 affairs–the Mr. Prospector, the Sugar Swirl and the Old Hat. The Spectacular Bid and the Turf Sprint are also on the card. The Old Hat will feature newly turned 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs, including seven with unblemished records. Carphonic and Cuff Me each won their maiden and stepped it up with stakes victories, while Dances With Ashley will try to keep her win streak intact with this stakes debut after beating the competition in allowance company last out.

In the Mr. Prospector, it’s hard to see past Munnings; after two consecutive wins this past summer in Grade 2 stakes races, he took on stiffer competition where he finished third in three tries, all on sloppy main track surfaces. He looks well-spotted here and will have his usual rider, John Velazquez. Others to watch in this six-furlong contest are Past the Point, who missed by just half a length in his last out, the G3 Bold Ruler, and Custom for Carlos, winner of the Bet On Sunshine at Churchill Downs last November.

The Sugar Swirl, counterpart to the Mr. Prospector, has nine fillies and mares going postward, six of them boasting of victories in their most recent starts. Favoritism, however, may go to Thunders Dove who had a five-race win streak broken by Indian Blessing in the G2 Gallant Bloom last September. She has not raced since. Another entry to consider is Pretty Prolific, who was runner-up in the G1 Test at Saratoga two starts back. The Sugar Swirl was previously known as the First Lady Handicap and renamed this year in honor of the Stronach Stables’ luminary, who won the 2008 First Lady.

Graded stakes action at Santa Anita this weekend will be Saturday’s G2 San Pasqual for 4-year-olds and up, and on Sunday, the Santa Ysabel (G3) for 3-year-old fillies. Both events are 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track. In the San Pasqual, Furthest Land, the upset winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, makes his 2010 debut. The Smart Strike gelding is three-for-three on synthetic tracks and has shown an obvious affinity for the Santa Anita surface. Hard not to like him here, though he’ll be challenged by the likes of Bold Chieftain, Cherokee Artist and Nownownow, who has a tough assignment after being on a layoff since March.

Evening Jewel, from the Jim Cassidy barn, is high-weighted at 122 lbs. in the Santa Ysabel. Her opponents will be carrying 114 or 116 lbs. and include Zilva, Whispering Hush, Crisp, Harissa and Ellafitz.