Ladies Spotlighted
A dozen of the best distaffers in the country were nominated for the John C. Mabee Stakes this Sunday at Del Mar and fireworks are sure to follow as it is also a ‘win and you’re in’ race to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
Eight will go postward.
Named for the racing icon and Golden Eagle Farm owner, the $250,000 Grade 2 event goes at a mile and an eighth on grass and over the years some of the equine elite graced the charmed circle.
Charlie Whittingham owned this race back in the day training the winner 9 times and stars like Queen to Conquer, Flawlessly, Possibly Perfect, Tuzla and Tizna succeeded in this showcase.
Last year Magical Fantasy parlayed a win in the Grade 1 Gamely at Hollypark to a score in the Mabee by coming from third to last to pull away by a length when posting a 98 Beyer for trainer Paddy Gallagher.
Turning Top, who was winning for the 4th time, was game as ever winning the Beverly Hills and looms a handful right back while the rest of the field is not chopped liver.
She draws post 5 and should sit a super stalk and rally trip.
American Oaks winner Gozzip Girl, multiple graded stakes winner Gotta Have Her and Wasted Tears, winner of three straight graded races in a string of six wins in a row will duke it out.
Gozzip Girl is trained by Martin Wolfson, and Wasted Tears is owned and trained by Bart Evans.
Gozzip Girl will have to try to make amends for her flop as chalk in a Delaware stakes and she has no won in over a year.
Gotta Have Her should get a hot enough pace to close into while Wasted Tears just wins. She has not lost since 2008, has been expertly managed and basically, has one way to go, and that’s to the front and then try to improve her position.
Oui Say Oui is still eligible for a non-winners of two other than event and looms a huge number from the marooned slot.
Lilly La Pootz runs hard every time but will have to track and rally in the toughest spot of her career.
Spring Style just chased the Queen Zenyatta but has never won a stakes, never mind a Graded event.
As the race unfolds they will have to collar Wasted Tears. She is capable of going :45 and change and keep going but she is facing Western speed today and the feeling is she will be over bet.
If someone presses here, maybe either Turning Top or Gozzip Girl, it could set it up for the classy. Gotta Have Her.
Could envision here sitting 4 or 5 off a hot pace, turning up the pressure at the top of the lane, and then blowing by them late under Hall of Famer Mike Smith.
Good luck.
