Arienza and the Novel Nine
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The decision proved to be a good one as the chestnut filly
remained undefeated in two lifetime starts. Arienza broke like a bolt from the
gate and took a one length lead heading into the first turn. Under tight
restraint the talented filly rolled down the backstretch two lengths clear of
her closest opponent with ears pricked, getting the half mile in :48.05.
Entering the far turn Arienza’s two length lead diminished quickly as Hidatsa
made a bold rush for the lead. It was a futile move by the challenger as
Arienza quickly opened up once again with just a shake of the reins, coasting
down the homestretch and under the wire an easy winner by 2 ½ lengths. Her
gallop out was exceptional as she continued to pull away with confidence.
In both her starts the official charts have made the
following notes; (1st start) confident, ridden out and (2nd
start) cleared, plenty left. With a pedigree like Arienza’s the sky is the
limit and the displays of talent she has produced so far give no reason to
think she won’t be able to compete with the nation’s top fillies. Her final
time for the mile was a fairly slow 1:38.05 but it was the ease with which she
won that really counts. It is also worth mentioning that Giant’s Causeway was
the leading North American sire in 2009 and 2010.
Arienza’s next start could come in the Fantasy Stakes on
April 10th where she would face Joyful Victory.
[Arienza is currently ranked #10 on the Horse Racing Nation 2011 Kentucky Oaks Contenders page]
[Arienza is currently ranked #10 on the Horse Racing Nation 2011 Kentucky Oaks Contenders page]
The Novel Nine:
1)
Kathmanblu
– It would have been interesting to see her dismantle the Fair Grounds Oaks on
Saturday but the April 9th Ashland Stakes will offer her a stiff challenge
in facing Dancinginherdreams at the 1 1/16 mile distance. She’ll be entering
the Ashland much more fit and fresh and a solid performance there will set her
up perfectly to enter the Kentucky Oaks in peak condition.
2)
Summer Soiree – This ultra impressive daughter of War Front has won her last two
starts by more than 20 combined lengths, showing the rare ability to explode
out of the gate and make another explosive move in the stretch while
maintaining control of the pace from start to finish. Her only weakness is that
she appears to always need the lead and fights to acquire it when challenged.
3)
Plum Pretty – It was tough trying to figure out where to rate Plum Pretty after
her incredible 25 length triumph in the Sunland Park Oaks on Sunday but the
more I watch the race the better it looks. If it wasn't for the competition she was running against I might have had her even higher. She was easily within herself and
still won by a football field, the fact that she was facing a weak field is
irrelevant; she proved she was in a completely different league than the fillies
she was facing and deserves a shot at the big girls now. She showed the ability
to rate in the Sunland Park Oaks when she sat just off pacesetting Icelain Diva
before moving to the lead all on her own.
4)
Zazu
– She posted her first work since finishing second to Turbulent Descent by a
neck in the Santa Anita Oaks, completing a 4 furlong move in :50.20. Word has
it she could possibly head straight to the Kentucky Oaks from her Santa Anita
Oaks run without another prep between. Fortunately she has been facing deep
fields her entire career and has a fantastic foundation to fall back on so this
plan might actually serve her well, allowing her to enter fresh and sharp.
5)
Joyful Victory – She drops a few spots this week due to the fact that she still
hasn’t posted any works since her impressive Honeybee romp on March 12th.
We know that she is pointing for the Fantasy Stakes on April 10th at
Oaklawn Park where she will so far be facing competition that is hardly equal to her caliber. That is unless Arienza shows
up, then things could get very interesting.
6)
Dancinginherdreams
– I still have faith in this talented daughter of Tapit and am just itching to
move her back into the top three but first we need to see her step it up in the
Ashland when she faces Kathmanblu. It will be her first time stretching out to
the 1 1/16 mile distance and will enhance her fabulous closing kick so long as
she isn’t kept too close to the lead. She will enter the Ashland having had 6
weeks between races that should allow her to be in tip top shape.
7)
It’s Tricky – Her Busher Stakes victory was only the third start of her career
and she won it like a true professional, waiting until she reached contention
in the stretch before pouncing on the pacesetter and flying down the stretch to
victory. She’ll be facing the toughest test of her undefeated career on
Saturday when she runs against R Heat Lightning in the Gulfstream Oaks but she
looks like she was made for the 1 1/8 mile distance.
8)
R Heat Lightning – She faces the undefeated and very talented It’s Tricky in the
Gulfstream Oaks this weekend and will be stretching out to 1 1/8 miles after
winning the 1 miles Davona Dale Stakes. If she’s going to employ the same
front-running style that she did in the Davona Dale in the Gulfstream Oaks
she’ll need to slow down the pace and ration her speed until the stretch. She
posted a bullet 4 furlong work in :47.60 on Sunday to signify her readiness. If
she loses it won’t be because she’s not fit.
9)
Inglorious
– Last week I said this about Inglorious: “When she starts in the Fair
Grounds Oaks on Saturday I’m betting it will be a much different filly that we
see show up.” Well, I was right. Ok, so it wasn’t the kind of filly I thought
we would see, but you have to admit she was certainly different! She was quite
frankly inglorious in her Fair Grounds Oaks run, finishing fourth. She appeared
very eager in the early stages of the race and stayed too close to the pace to
make her patented late-kick effective. She made a move at the top of the
stretch but seemed to fizzle out quickly and then began to pick up the pace
once again just before crossing under the wire. I’m willing to chalk this one
up to experience and give her another chance.
Honorable Trio:
Arienza, Pomeroy’s Pistol and Gran Lioness. Both Gran Lioness and Pomeroy's Pistol could be headed for the Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes on April 17th. That race could tell us a lot about how the pace scenario might play out in the Kentucky Oaks.
Photo Courtesy of Coady Photography
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