After posting a four-length victory in the local prep race for the Azalea Stakes (gr. III), Rontos Racing Stable's Wildcat Lily will enter the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies July 6 at Calder Casino and & Race Course in top form.
The D'wildcat filly tries to secure the first graded stakes win of her career in the $150,000 Azalea, one of six stakes sprints on the Summit of Speed card which will offer total purses of $1.2 million.
Bred in Florida by Tara and Paul Helman, Wildcat Lily registered her first career stakes win when she routed 11 3-year-old fillies in the Leave Me Alone Stakes June 8 at Calder, contested at the Azalea distance. In the process, Wildcat Lily defeated Calder Oaks winner Street Girl, who finished third. The two fillies, both trained by Manuel Azpurua, are scheduled to meet again Saturday.
Connections of plenty of fillies in this field of nine have reason for hope. For instance, Frank Calabrese's Dreaming of Susie has yet to win a stakes race but the Cowtown Cat filly defeated Wildcat Lily in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race May 26 at Calder.
Shipping in will be two-time restricted stakes winner Guadalupe High, a Louisiana-bred who will be looking for her second Azalea Stakes win this season. She took the restricted 7 1/2-furlong Azalea earlier this year at Delta Downs. A daughter of Cuvee, Guadalupe High is trained by Ronny Werner, who owns the filly with several partners.
$150,000 Azalea Stakes (gr. III, race 8, approximate post time 3:59 p.m.) 3YO Fillies, Six Furlongs
PP, Horse, Jockey, Trainer
1. By Golly Molly (KY), J. Lezcano, 115, M. Wolfson
2. Bama Rose (FL), L. Panici, 115, W. Kaplan
3. Twice Told Tale (KY), J. Leyva, 115, R. Nicks
4. Vitameta (KY), H. Sanchez, 115, D. Fawkes
5. Street Girl (KY), E. Zayas, 119, M. Azpurua
6. Guadalupe High (LA), F. Jara, 119, R. Werner
7. Speedinthruthecity, R. Santana Jr., 115, S. Asmussen
8. Wildcat Lily (FL), J. Alvarez, 117, M. Azpurua
9. Dreaming of Susie (FL), L. Saez, 115, K. Ziadie