Seven-year-old turf specialist Presious Passion will look to defend his Mac Diarmida title Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park. Presious Passion was second in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park.
Though Rachel Alexandra was not in the $600,000 Alabama (gr. I), Donver Stable's Careless Jewel did her best impression of the superstar filly, running away from seven rivals to win by 11 lengths in a breakthrough performance Aug. 22 at Saratoga.
There are two ways to look at the field for the $600,000 Alabama (gr. I): It could be a disappointment that the nation's top 3-year-old filly, Rachel Alexandra, is not included in the field. Or, a more optimistic view would be that many of the talented fillies entered for the prestigious race are only there because Rachel Alexandra is not in the field.
Hightap, a winner of consecutive graded stakes for Steve Asmussen, will take on seven 3-year-old filly rivals in the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) July 25 at Belmont Park.
The way Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks -- by a whopping 20 1/4 lengths -- anything that ran behind her had to be given another chance in her next start. Gabby's Golden Gal proved that theory true when she won the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) June 6 at Belmont Park.
On a five-race win streak, Justwhistledixie doesn't figure to run into anyone like Rachel Alexandra in the one-mile Acorn, a $300,000 event that drew eight other 3-year-old fillies.
Jockey Terry Thompson had one mount at Pimlico May 16 and he made the most of it, controlling the pace aboard Payton d'Oro to win the biggest race of the day, the grade II Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.
The Black-Eyed Susan (gr. II) headlines a day of stakes races one day before the running of the Preakness.
Sensational 3-year-old filly Justwhistledixie notched her fifth consecutive victory in the $200,000 Bonnie Miss (gr. II) March 27 at Gulfstream Park, further stamping herself as one of the top Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) contenders.
Grade II winner Justwhistledixie, bidding for her fifth consecutive win, is strictly the horse to beat in the $200,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park March 27.
West Point Thoroughbreds and partners' Justwhistledixie stalked the pace, took over leaving the turn, and cruised to a 3 3/4-length victory in the $150,000 Davona Dale Stakes (gr. II) for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park March 1.
Gemswick Park, sandwiched between two undefeated fillies as they lurched toward the wire, got her nose in front at the line to win an exciting renewal of the $100,000 Old Hat Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 4.
John Confort and Albert Weiss' Our Golden Dream will try to follow up on her impressive debut when she takes on a full field of 12 juvenile fillies in the $150,000 Miss Grillo Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 1 on the Belmont turf.
Prohibitive choice Mani Bhavan, yet to be headed at any call in her three starts, repelled a bid from Jardin mid-stretch en route to victory in the $250,000 Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) for 2-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 31.
For a filly that romped in both of her starts, including a seven-length laugher in the Adirondack Stakes (gr. II), Mani Bhavan hasn't gotten much respect from the bettors. That's going to change, though, in the $250,000 Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Aug. 31.
| Trainer | Todd A. Pletcher |
|---|---|
| Jockey | John R. Velazquez |
| Owner | Evans, Edward, P. |
| Breeder | Edward P. Evans |
| Casanova Move View Five-Cross Pedigree | Langfuhr | Danzig |
| Sweet Briar Too | ||
| Casanova Junction | Pleasant Colony | |
| Intentional Move |
| Sale / Hip | Type | Buyer | Consignor | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEENOV2011 Hip 67 |
Broodmare | ITC | Lane's End, agent for Dispersal of the Estate of Edward P. Evans | $550,000 |
| Rachel Alexandra |
| California Chrome |
| Bodemeister |
| Calculator |
| Upstart |
| Far Right |
| Buddy's Saint |
| International Star |
| Main Sequence |
| Dortmund |
