Trainer Steve Asmussen will have a double threat when the field of eight juvenile fillies takes the gate for Friday's inaugural $250,000 Delta Princess Stakes at Delta Downs. Asmussen will saddle stakes winners Souris and Miss Listo in the one-mile event.
Souris, a daughter of Defrere, enters the Delta Princess with two weeks rest after finishing third in the inaugural NTRA Great State Juvenile Fillies at Sam Houston Race Park on Dec. 7.
Asmussen conditions Souris, who earlier this year won the Top Flight Stakes at Arlington Park and finished third in the Pocahontas Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs for Nelson Bunker Hunt.
Souris will break from post eight carrying 114 pounds, including jockey Corey Lanerie.
Heiligbrodt Racing Stable owns Miss Listo, who has three wins from six career starts, including a win in the Miss Houston Stakes. Under jockey Donnie Meche, Miss Listo will break from post six carrying 116 pounds.
Challenging the two Asmussen-trainees will be a pair of Kentucky-bred grade II stakes-placed runners, My Trusty Cat and Miss Mary Apples.
My Trusty Cat is owned by Carl Pollard and conditioned by David Vance. The daughter of Tale of the Cat finished third in the Golden Rod Stakes and has two wins from five career starts. My Trusty Cat will break from post two under jockey Terry Thompson.
Miss Mary Apples, owned by Christopher Conners and Katie Rich Stables and trained by Mark T. Hubley, will break from post four under jockey Eddie Martin Jr.
Miss Mary Apples finished second in both the Schuyerville Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga and the Fashion Stakes at Belmont. The daughter of Clever Trick has hit the board in four of six career starts.
The field for Friday's $250,000 Delta Princess includes:
1 -- Historic Treasure (Jason Tervort, 114)
2 -- My Trusty Cat (Terry Thompson, 114)
3 -- Sea Bloom (Calvin Borel, 121)
4 -- Miss Mary Apples (Eddie Martin Jr., 114)
5 -- Tulupai (Monte Clifton Berry, 116)
6 -- Miss Listo (Donnie Meche, 116)
7 -- Rough House Ruby (Kevin Deaville, 114)
8 -- Souris (Carey Lanerie, 114)
