The Mother Goose is Next for Tough Filly Division

 

The 57^th running of the grade one Mother Goose features the much-heralded Stonestreet Farms filly, Dreaming of Julia. The $300,000 stakes race will be run on Saturday at Belmont Park on the main track at a distance of 8.5 furlongs.

 

Once again, in 2013, there are many very talented three year-old fillies. The chart below shows the major stakes winners in the division. There have only been five grade ones races and those have been won by four different horses. Beholder is the only sophomore distaffer to take down two of them.

 

 

In ZATT’s midseason review, his Three Year-Old Filly Award went to Princess of Sylmar. As Brian said in his blog, “Just check her excellent record.” You can see from the chart that she has won three of the stakes including a grade one, the prestigious Kentucky Oaks.

 

With horses likes Beholder, Princess of Sylmar, Emollient, Midnight Lucky, and Fiftyshadesofhay; where does Dreaming of Julia fit in? She appears only once on the chart from when she won the Gulfstream Park Oaks back in March. It was the 114 Beyer Speed Figure that she earned that has had racing fans talking about the regally bred daughter of AP Indy and Dream Rush.  That 114 figure is the fourth best run by any thoroughbred this year at a distance of 9 furlongs or longer and it is the best among all three year-olds; better than Orb, Oxbow, or Palace Malice.

 

Her next start was in the Kentucky Oaks. Dreaming of Julia, a horse that likes to be forwardly placed, had a trouble filled trip. Churchill Downs track announcer Mark Johnson said, “Dreaming of Julia was broadsided as they came out of the gate,” causing her to fall to the back of the field. Still, Julia managed a strong rally to finish fourth behind three graded stakes winners, Princess of Sylmar, Beholder, and Unlimited Budget.

 

 

 

Dreaming of Julia, who is listed as the 1-2 morning line favorite, looks to start the second half of 2013 with a grade one victory against a field of five in the Mother Goose.  Her trainer, Todd Pletcher has won this race four times including three of the past six editions.

 

The small field includes one other graded stakes winner and two fillies that have finished in the money in a graded event. At 7-2 in morning line is Close Hatches, who won her first three races including the Gazelle (G2) at Aqueduct in April.  Most recently she ran second to Midnight Lucky in the Acorn.

 

Marathon Lady has only a maiden victory, but she has a trio of top three finishes in graded events since March. The competitive Florida-bred is listed as the 5-1 morning line third choice.

 

Toasting has two career victories and, most recently, she finished third in the Black Eyed Susan behind Fiftyshadesofhay and Marathon Lady. This Tom Albertrani filly is 12-1 on the morning line.

 

The 20-1 long shot is Darley’s Sister State. This late developing daughter of AP Indy broke her maiden at Belmont last month and followed that up with a distant eighth place finish in a first level allowance race.