It’s been a long time since a winner of the Whirlaway has made any noise in the 3-year-old classic races, but for Mid-Atlantic-based horses and trainers, the mile and a sixteenth race over Aqueduct’s inner track provides an opportunity for young 3-year-olds to test themselves around two turns and in stakes company.

The morning line favorite and local buzz horse is Eightyfiveinafifty, an aptly-named Gary Contessa trainee who broke his maiden at Aqueduct on Jan 9, winning by 17 1/4 lengths and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 105, the highest of any 3-year-old this year. Eightyfiveinafifty brings the lightest resume to the race, having started only twice before.

Eightyfiveinafifty is also stretching out beyond six furlongs for the first time, making him the only entrant untested at a route. Peppi Knows and Papa’s Nice Cat have both hit the board at distances over a mile, while Turf Melody and Afleet Again boast route wins.

The Whirlaway winner may well point to the Grade 3 Gotham at a mile and a sixteenth at Aqueduct on March 6.

  – Teresa Genaro, Brooklyn Backstretch

Further Reading:
  Whirlaway Stakes – Wikipedia Entry
  Afleet Again – Horse Racing Nation
  Eightyfiveinafifty – Horse Racing Nation
  Papa’s Nice Cat – Horse Racing Nation
  Peppi Knows – Horse Racing Nation
  Turf Melody – Horse Racing Nation

First run in 1983, the Las Virgenes Stakes has produced a respectable five Kentucky Oaks winners and one Kentucky Derby winner. The most recent Las Virgenes/Oaks winner, Rags to Riches, went on to win the Belmont Stakes in a thrilling stretch duel with 2007 & 2008 Horse of the Year Curlin. MC Hammer’s Oaktown Stable campaigned 1991’s winner Lite Light, who also won the Oaks. 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors ran second to the eventual Oaks winner Goodbye Halo, while 1995 winner Serena’s Song bypassed the Oaks in favor of the Derby but finished a disappointing 12th. Winners Fran’s Valentine (1985) and Keeper Hill (1998) also went on to win the Kentucky Oaks. Last year’s winner, Stardom Bound, amassed five consecutive Grade 1 wins but did not make it to the gate for the Oaks. She recently made a return to the track as a 4-year-old running a game second in the Grade 2 El Encino Stakes.

Triple Crown nominated Blind Luck heads the field for the 2010 Las Virgenes. Training well off a win in her last race, the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet in December, she’ll be the one to beat. While the distance doesn’t look to be ideal for Blind Luck, the inclusion of recent maiden winner Summer Games and John Sadler trainee Switch will likely provide a lively pace, which will aid Blind Luck’s running style. Also aided by the likely pace scenario is Santa Ysabel winner Crisp, who’s also trained by Sadler. While Crisp is cutting back in distance, Switch is stretching out slightly from seven furlongs to a mile and Sadler boasts a notable 27% win rate in moving from sprints to routes.

Two California breds providing interest are Evening Jewel and La Nez. Evening Jewel captured the filly division in the recent California Cup Championships and then ran a game second to Crisp in the Santa Ysabel. La Nez is cutting back to what looks to be a more favorable distance and her jockey, Mike Smith, has an impressive 50% win rate when teaming up with her trainer Eric Kruljac. La Nez also held her own against Blind Luck and the talented Mi Sueno this past summer in the Darley Debutante at Del Mar. Both Evening Jewel and La Nez have hit the board in the open company against males.

Regardless of whether the end goal is the Derby or the Oaks, the next stop is the $250,000 Santa Anita Oaks on Mar 6.

  – Dana Byerly, Green but Game

Further Reading:
  Las Virgenes – Wikipedia Entry
  Rags to Riches – Wikipedia Entry
  Serena’s Song – Wikipedia Entry
  Winning Colors – Wikipedia Entry
  Lite Light – Wikipedia Entry
  Blind Luck – Horse Racing Nation
  Crisp – Horse Racing Nation
  Evening Jewel – Horse Racing Nation
  La Nez – Horse Racing Nation
  Summer Games – Horse Racing Nation
  Switch – Horse Racing Nation
  Stardom Bound – Horse Racing Nation

The Robert B. Lewis stakes has had several different names and been run at several different distances since its inception in 1935. Originally named the Santa Catalina Handicap, it was open to horses 3-years-olds and up until 1964 when it became restricted to 3-year-olds. More useful as a Santa Anita Derby prep than a Kentucky Derby prep, the race has produced seven Santa Anita Derby winners compared to only one Kentucky Derby winner.

The 1973 winner of the Santa Catalina/Santa Anita Derby, Sham, ran second to the great Secretariat in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. The only Kentucky Derby winner, Ferdinand (1986), ran third in the Santa Anita Derby. Ferdinand met a sad demise in 2002, ending up in a slaughterhouse in Japan at the end of his breeding career with no notice to his original owners. This eye-opening turn of events helped spur more effort and awareness on behalf of race horses at the end of their careers. More recently, 2005 winner Declan’s Moon, who was thought to be an early Derby favorite, was sidelined with an injury while 2006 winner Brother Derek went on to win the Santa Anita Derby but finished fourth in both the Derby and the Preakness. Last year’s winner, Pioneerof the Nile, also won the Santa Anita Derby and finished second to Mine That Bird in the Derby.

American Lion, the first horse to receive any noticeable Derby hype, returns to the track after winning the seven furlong Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue on Nov 21. The morning line favorite has been training well in anticipation of his return in the first two-turn prep race in California. The highly regarded Stuka Stakes winner Tiz Chrome and the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes winner Caracortado both come into the race undefeated. Caracortado is the only winner at the distance over the track at Santa Anita.

Dave in Dixie is the only other entrant to previously try the distance in the Grade 1 Norfolk on Oct 4. On a break since his sixth place effort in the Norfolk, he’s been training well with an emphasis on endurance works. Macias comes into the race off a one mile turf win in the Eddie Logan on Dec 28 for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert also saddles Tiz Chrome. Running back off of a three week break from the San Rafael is Domonation, who also gets a jockey change to Joe Talamo. and rounding out the field is Tango Tango, who comes in off a win in a six furlong $32,000 optional claiming race at Golden Gate Fields for Jerry Hollendorfer.

The March 13 $150,000 Grade 2 San Felipe stakes is the next likely target for those advancing from the Robert B. Lewis.

  – Dana Byerly, Green but Game

Further Reading:
  Robert B. Lewis Stakes – Wikipedia Entry
  Sham – Wikipedia Entry
  Ferdinand – Wikipedia Entry
  Brother Derek – Wikipedia Entry
  American Lion – Horse Racing Nation
  Caracortado – Horse Racing Nation
  Dave in Dixie – Horse Racing Nation
  Domonation – Horse Racing Nation
  Macias – Horse Racing Nation
  Tango Tango – Horse Racing Nation
  Tiz Chrome – Horse Racing Nation

Bickersons’ trainer Kelly Breen has acknowledged his filly’s limitations, namely to one-turn mile races, so it is very doubtful she will run in the Kentucky Oaks. She Be Wild may still adapt to real dirt after this first experience; she’s already proven to handle two-turn routes. Another first-time-dirt performer who disappointed was Josie Carroll-trained Cascading; by A.P. Indy and out of Teeming (a half-sister of Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches), she is obviously bred to run forever, but did not fire in the Forward Gal.

Perhaps the most intriguing runner here moving forward to longer route races is Liam’s Dream, daughter of 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam, whose dam is a half-sister to talented sire Distorted Humor; his progeny include Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide, as well as Travers winner Flower Alley, Breeders’ Cup Distaff runner-up Hystericalady, and the gritty Commentator who retired last year at age 8.

Next up for many of the top contenders is the one mile Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream on February 27.

Full Results and Replay

  – Valerie Grash, Foolish Pleasure

Further Reading:
  Forward Gal Stakes – Wikipedia Entry
  Bickersons – Horse Racing Nation
  She Be Wild – Horse Racing Nation