Summerly, a dominating allowance winner for trainer Steve Asmussen in her last start, is the morning line choice in Saturday's $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies at Fair Grounds.
While he has won every other major stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Fair Grounds, Asmussen has never won the Silverbulletday.
That could change with Summerly, the early 5-2 favorite in the field of nine for the 1 1/16-mile event.
Summerly comes off a 9 3/4-length win in a first-level allowance on Jan. 17 in her 3-year-old debut. Prior to that, the daughter of Summer Squall was third in the Golden Rod (gr. II) at Churchill Downs. Donnie Meche gets the return call on Summerly.
Asmussen had the odds-on favorite in the Tiffany Lass four weeks ago in Punch Appeal, but she was upset by Louisiana-bred The Beter Man Can, who makes her graded stakes debut Saturday for owner Stanley Seelig and trainer Pat Mouton.
The Beter Man Can's connections originally planned to use the Tiffany Lass as a prep for Louisiana Premier Night last Saturday at Delta Downs, but after her win, the plans changed. E.J. Perrodin will ride The Beter Man Can, who is 4-for-5 in her career and is 6-1 on the morning line.
A pair of other locally based fillies should figure prominently in the wagering. Private Gift comes off an impressive maiden win and will stretch out to two turns for the first time for trainer Neil Howard. The Al Stall Jr.-trained Enduring Will was beaten a neck by The Beter Man Can in the Tiffany Lass in her first start since a 10-length win in the Silver Spur Breeders' Cup in October at Lone Star Park.
Five-time Fair Grounds leading rider Robby Albarado will ride Private Gift, while Eclipse Award winner John Velazquez takes the mount on Enduring Will.
Cee's Irish comes in off a pair of stakes wins: the Blue Northern Stakes on turf last month at Santa Anita and the Corte Madera at Golden Gate Fields in December. Tyler Baze will get a leg up from trainer Doug O'Neill on Cee's Irish, who runs in the colors of The Merv Griffin Ranch Co.
Summerly and The Beter Man Can are two of the 23 individual wagering interests in the first pool of the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which runs from Thursday through Sunday.
$150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes (gr. III), 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 milesPP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, ML Odds
1. Enduring Will (KY), John R. Velazquez, 122, 9/2
2. The Beter Man Can (LA), Elvis J. Perrodin, 122, 6/1
3. Steal the Show (KY), Mike E. Smith, 112, 12/1
4. Glorious Prospect (FL), Nathaniel Puello, 119, 20/1
5. Eyes On Eddy (KY), James Graham, 112, 8/1
6. Elsie Lucille (VA), Corey J. Lanerie, 114, 10/1
7. Cee's Irish (CA), Tyler Baze, 122, 8/1
8. Summerly (KY), Donnie J. Meche, 114, 5/2
9. Private Gift (KY), Robby Albarado, 112, 7/2
