Going in Circles Stakes Preview
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Darley Alcibiades Grade I $400000 2 yo fillies 1 1/16 dirt
1. Juju’s Map – Well bred Liam’s Map filly broke her maiden in start number two when stretched out to a mile in her last at Ellis Park. Cox trainee might try to be the controlling speed from her rail post under main stable rider Geroux but will be interesting to see how he handles her considering the presence of barnmate Matareya who set blazing fractions in her only race and the other pacesetting types drawn outside.
2. Miss Interpret – One of three stakes winners in the field, she exits a win in the off the turf PG Johnson at Saratoga going 7 furlongs. She doesn’t have a lot of early speed and will need to improve to be be any sort of factor in here for trainer Todd Pletcher .
3. Sequist – Nyquist filly has had troubled starts in both her starts. First time she came from well back in the field to beat a maiden special weight group at Colonial. Her last was a distant 4th behind division leader Echo Zulu. She needs to break clean and run much better to even hit the board in this group in her first try around two turns.
4. Dream Lith – Medaglia d’Oro filly upset a good Saratoga maiden field at 36-1 in her debut and had an extremely wide trip in her last, when she was 5th in the Spinaway behind Echo Zulu who cruised home in last weekends Grade II Frizette at Belmont and is considered the current favorite for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies next month at Del Mar. She is another that needs to improve to get on the board but the rider change to the underrated Adam Beschizza won’t hurt. A bomb at a price if a wild pace develops.
5. Myfavoritedaughter - Bargain $20000 OBS March 2 yo in training purchase, she parlayed a lengthy maiden score in an off the turf race at Gulfstream in June into a trip west to run in the Grade I Del Mar Debutante where she rallied to be 4th albeit 14 lengths behind blowout winner Grace Alder. That one didn’t maintain that form as she was off the board at Santa Anita last Saturday in the Chandelier as were the other two that exited the DM Debutante which now looks like a negative key race. Will pass on her
6. Mama Rina – Has improved in each start of her three race career with a runner up spot in the Grade III Pocohontas last out her best showing yet. It was also the daughter of freshman sire Gormley’s initial try on dirt as she had run on and broke her maiden on turf her two previous starts. She wasn’t exactly a threat to winner Hidden Connection in the Pocohontas but further improvement puts her in the hunt in the Alcibiades, coming in old school on only 20 days rest.
7. Matareya – Could be the X factor in here. The well bred Godolphin home bred by Pioneer of the Nile crushed a field of maiden special weight fillies back in August at Ellis Park “geared down” with Florent Geroux taking hold of her in deep stretch and galloping across the wire after cutting rapid early fractions. Her pedigree (her dam is by Bernardini – a strong stamina influence) suggests the stretch out in distance should be within her scope and she gets Joel Rosario for leading trainer Brad Cox.
8. Distinctlypossible – Pricey Curlin filly is still a maiden after one start though it was an excellent effort finishing 2nd to stablemate Gerrymander in August at Saratoga. That filly came back off that race to finish a clear 2nd to Echo Zulu in last weekends grade I Frizette which reflects well on this filly. Tyler Gaffalione picks up the mount for Chad Brown and is a big player in this spot if he can establish good position that doesn’t give her too much to do, especially with the Alcibiades using the short stretch, first finishline.
9. Pipeline Girl – Broke her maiden first time out beating a nice group of fillies back in June at Churchill Downs. Last seen running third at Kentucky Downs at six and a half furlongs, she stretches out in here and jockey Jimmy Graham will be looking to stalk the leaders from his outside post position. Seems like a tough assignment.
10. Penny Saver – Super Saver filly finished well in her first two starts, a five furlong dirt sprint and again when stretched out to run 1 1/16 on the grass at Saratoga. Last out she shook loose going 1 1/16 at Churchill Downs and destroyed a maiden special weight field by 9 lengths. She earned a big speed figure in that race (6 TG) and the big effort might work against her on the short turnaround back into the Alcibiades (2 weeks). Another that may contribute to a lively early pace but she may wind up with a wider than hoped for trip from post 10.
11. Diamond Wow – Looking at Lucky homebred has been super sharp in two south Florida starts, wiring the field in a turf sprint on debut and then stalking the pace in a seven furlong off the turf overnight stakes in start number two, earning a nice speed figure for that win. Picks up Mike Smith but another who will be needing some luck to work out a trip from an outside post position.
12. Runup – Filly by Run Happy broke her maiden at Pimlico in a waiver claiming race after trying a turf sprint first time out at Colonial Downs. Followed that maiden score with a win in the listed Sorority going 1 mile at Monmouth, wiring the field while maintaining a clear lead throughout. That won’t work here and if Joe Ramos intends on going on a suicide speed mission from post 12 (with these connections, you never know) he will be backing through the field.
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VIDEO of the WEEK - 2010 Alcibiades
