As in military strategy, logistics also plays a key role in today's game of Thoroughbred racing. Case in point, Sweet Nanette's two-length score in the $117,000 Bourbonette Breeders' Cup for 3-year-old fillies on the Spiral undercard. After Sweet Nanette shipped to trainer Dallas Stewart's Churchill Downs base from New Orleans earlier in the week, the undefeated filly's connections faced a tactical challenge. Terry Finley, point man of West Point Thoroughbreds, and his conditioner were looking at the seven-furlong, one-turn Cicada Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct on March 25. Faced with shipping to Memphis for a flight or a 28-hour van ride to New York, they opted for a 1 1/2-hour van ride to Turfway and an extra furlong for the two-turn, one-mile Bourbonette. The result was victory number four from as many starts for the Kentucky-bred daughter of You and I. After stalking a quick pace of :21.86 and :44.75 set by upstart Upside, Pat Day steered Sweet Nanette off the rail and she brushed off the pacesetter in the lane, running to her 3-5 backing. Her final time was 1:37.55. "What a sweet filly," Stewart said while watching the replay. "You just don't get many horses that can go four-for-four." "I don't know how talented this filly is, but she hasn't made a wrong move yet," Finley said. Not Breeders' Cup-eligible, Sweet Nanette earned $62,600 for her effort. "We generally don't buy horses that aren't nominated to the Breeders' Cup," Finley said. "But we really liked this one." West Point Thoroughbreds, which syndicates its racing stable, has about 30 in training, mainly in New York. Finley said Stewart has four of his horses, but "before too long, he'll have 10-12."
A run at Keeneland's Stonerside Beaumont Stakes (gr. II) on April 22 at about seven furlongs may be next on Sweet Nanette's dance card.
