2014 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Contender: Sweet Reason
A Horseplayer can never be one hundred percent positive while trying to get in the minds of trainers and a horse’s connections. When Sweet Reason was entered into the grade 1 Cotillion though, one couldn’t help but wonder if this was possibly a tryout for the BC Distaff. Exiting the race after a nice second, if you did view the Cotillion as indeed a tryout, you now must ponder what the connections thought of it as well. Do they take a shot in the Distaff after that nice effort, or put her where she is proven, going one turn in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint? With a decision yet to be made on where to run the very talented Sweet Reason next, I have five reasons why I think she may better suited going in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
1. While Sweet Reason has shown she can indeed route, she has also proven she is better going one turn – Although she does own a win going two turns and just ran a fine second in her latest start in the grade 1 Cotillion, I still feel that elongated sprinting is where she will shine. She is a 3-time grade 1 winner while going one-turn, thanks to victories in the Spinaway and Test at Saratoga, and the Acorn at Belmont Park. She also ran a bang up second in the Frizette at Belmont after overcoming a bad break from the one hole. Her record going one turn is four wins and a second from five starts, which is pretty impressive to say the least.
2. The Breeders’ Cup Distaff is at 1 1/8th miles, which is distance at which for the only time in her career where she was soundly beaten – The only time she has run this far in her life was earlier this year in the grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct. Although she did hit the board to round out the trifecta, she also never looked like a winner, and was beaten by almost eight lengths. I know the winner had a loose lead, through a slow pace, but she still was in a spot to strike and didn’t really kick in.
3. She will not have to deal with Untapable, Close Hatches, or Beholder – It goes without saying, those are three monster mares. Untapable just beat her in the Cotillion and is enjoying a great sophomore year. Close Hatches has turned into a beast this year while rattling off four straight wins (three in grade 1 company, and the other in a grade 2). And Beholder in her own backyard at Santa Anita will be no easy task.
4. The filly and mare sprint division doesn’t appear to be all that tough at the moment – With the void left by Groupie Doll there is no one in this division that is all too intimidating. There is quite a lot of potential in the division, but not anyone I would be scared to take on, especially with a filly as talented as Sweet Reason.
5. She will get a nice pace to close into to show off her late kick in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint – With the likes of frontrunners Midnight Lucky, Stonetastic, and R Free Roll, aiming for this event, there should be a hot pace up front which will only bolster her chances for mowing them down in the stretch. Not that she needs a pace collapse to succeed. It just seems it will only help her chances as she does like to race mid-pack or behind. It will be interesting to see where Leah Gyarmati and Sweet Reason’s connections ultimately decide where to run this fine filly. Do you take a shot in the big one for the ladies? Or do you turn her back to do what she seems to do best? This is a tough call for sure. It feels as though she will end up going in the Sprint for the reasons just stated, and if that is where her connections do decide, her foes better be looking over their shoulders, down the lane, because this filly will surely be gunning for them.