Turfway Park's $150,000 Bourbonette Stakes on Saturday has a pair of class contenders among its six entrants: Class Above and Fond. The mile race for 3-year-old fillies will be run on the Lane's End Stakes undercard.
Padua Stable's Class Above will be making her second start of the year in the Bourbonette, coming off a dull seventh-place finish in the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita. However, it was her effort at Turfway last year in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies that put her on the map. The daughter of
Quiet American ran off and hid from her rivals, winning by a resounding 16 lengths. That effort made her a 4-1 proposition in last year's Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) where she finished seventh.
Trainer Bob Baffert seeks to get her back on track with a return to the northern Kentucky track. Jerry Bailey, who will be at the track to ride even-money Birdstone in the Lane's End, has the mount.
It won't be an easy assignment with Dogwood Stable's Fond in the lineup.
The daughter of Old Trieste ships to Turfway off a wire-to-wire victory in the 1 1/16-mile Busher Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 28. The first foal of the stakes-winning Southern Halo mare Fontal, Fond has won three of seven starts, closing out her 2-year-old season with a score in the Open Mind Stakes at Aqueduct at a mile and 70 yards. She is trained by George Weaver. A $80,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling, Fond was bred in Kentucky by Cobra Farm.
Bourbonette Stakes, $150,000, 3-year-old fillies, one mile, Turfway Park, Saturday, March 20PP, Horse, Jockey
1, Susan's Angel, Jon Court
2, Cat's Account, Rafael Bejarano
3, Slewpy's Storm, Tony D'Amico
4, Class Above, Jerry Bailey
5, Native Annie, Robby Albarado
6, Fond, Cornelio Velasquez
