Family Meeting Looks to Snap Winless Streak in Hilltop

Winless in three starts since her triumph in the Jimmy Durante (G3) last fall in California, Glen Hill Farm’s Family Meeting looks to end that streak in the $100,000 Hilltop for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the grass.

A dark bay or brown daughter of Sky Mesa who broke her maiden last fall at Laurel Park, Family Meeting ran twice at Tampa Bay Downs over the winter, both at the Hilltop distance. She finished third by less than a length in the Florida Oaks (G3) March 12 and was fourth following a tough trip in the Sophomore Turf Stakes April 9.

Skeedattle Associates’ Look Who’s Talking, based at Laurel with trainer Robin Graham, goes after her second stakes victory in her second start of 2016 after closing her juvenile campaign by winning the seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile Fillies Stakes Dec. 26. In her only other try at the distance, she dueled for the lead before fading to fifth in the Miss Grillo (G3) last fall.

Making their stakes debuts in the Hilltop are Cowgirl Tough, a winner of three straight; Channel Regatta and Morethanjusthello, each winners of their last two races; Small Wonder Stakes winner Lookout Sister; Spinamiss, third in the Sweetest Chant (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream Park and Princess Princess, both dropping from back-to-back graded stakes efforts; Thundering Sky, third to Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Cathryn Sophia in the Gin Talking Stakes Dec. 5 at Laurel; Wessex, an impressive debut winner April 2 at Gulfstream Park; Irish Group 3-placed Miss Katie Mae in her second North American start; Koala Queen, Melody Croon, La Piba and Lady Oak.

Sweet On Smokey Adds Local Flavor to $100,000 Skipat
 

Based at Laurel Park with trainer Claudio Gonzalez, BB Horses’ multiple stakes winner Sweet On Smokey looks to capitalize on home-state advantage in the $100,000 Skipat for females 3 and up going six furlongs on the main track.

Second in the Sugar Maple Stakes April 23 at Charles Town last time out, the 4-year-old filly was a runaway winner of the Videogenic Stakes in the Aqueduct mud April 2. In her first two starts this year, she was fourth in the Barbara Fritchie (G2) and placed third in the Primonetta Stakes at Laurel.

Stakes winner Flattering Bea, fifth in last year’s Skipat, has finished second twice in three career tries at Pimlico. Eighth in the Sugar Maple, the daughter of Flatter is one of four horses to exit the race along with the winner, Raging Smoke, and sixth-place finisher Dallas Cowgirl.

Also entered are 2015 Great Lady (G2) winner Fantastic Style; stakes winners Disco Chick, Sweetrayofsunshine and Thirteen Arrows; and Printasticat, seventh in last year’s Hilltop.

Source: Maryland Jockey Club