Sister Moon, a runaway winner in two of her three lifetime starts, steps into graded stakes company for the first time in the $100,000 Railbird (gr. III) on the Preakness day program at Betfair Hollywood Park May 19.
Jerry and Anne Moss' homebred daughter of Dixie Union out of the Pulpit mare Shimmer faces just four rival 3-year-old fillies in the seven-furlong Railbird, including last December's Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) winner Killer Graces.
Sister Moon, trained by John Sadler, made her seasonal debut in a first-level allowance race at Santa Anita Park March 23. The speedy filly ran away from three opponents to win the six-furlong event by 5 1/2 lengths as the 1-10 favorite.
As a 2-year-old, Sister Moon debuted last summer with a 9 3/4-length maiden victory over the Del Mar Polytrack. She then ran second after a slow start in the minor Anoakia Stakes Oct. 22. She had five months off before returning to action in March.
Garrett Gomez has the mount on Sister Moon, who breaks from the rail with 115 pounds.
Sadler is using the Railbird as a prep for the June 23 Hollywood Oaks (gr. II). The Railbird is the third race on the Hollywood program with a 12:03 p.m. PDT post.
Killer Graces, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, will shoot for her fourth stakes win at Hollywood Park as the 123-pound top weight. She was successful in the Cinderella and Landaluce last year prior to winning the Hollywood Starlet Dec. 10 by a half-length over Charm the Maker.
The Congaree filly has lost three straight since the Starlet and is cutting back in distance from the nine-furlong Providencia Stakes (gr. IIIT). She finished third in the Providencia, her turf debut April 7 at Santa Anita.
Owned by a partnership that includes Daniel Borislow, Gillian Campbell, Steve Melen, and Hollendorfer, Killer Graces has a 3-4-1 record in 11 starts and has banked $432,830.
Hollendorfer also entered Via Villaggio, who was fifth in the one-mile Senorita (gr. IIIT) on the Hollywood turf May 5.
$100,000 Railbird Stakes (gr. III), 3YO Fillies, 7 Furlongs (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight
1. Sister Moon (KY), G K Gomez, 117, J W Sadler
2. Lady Fairbanks (FL), J Talamo, 115, C Dollase
3. Killer Graces (KY), R Bejarano, 123, J Hollendorfer
4. Via Villaggio (KY), M A Pedroza, 117, J Hollendorfer
5. Dijarvo (GB), M Garcia, 117, P Gallagher
Killer Graces faces Sister Moon in the Railbird Stakes
Benoit Photo