Sheer Drama Galloping Toward Ballerina
Harold Queen's multiple Grade 1-winning homebred Sheer Drama, most recently fifth in the Grade 1 Odgen Phipps June 11 at Belmont Park, galloped over the main track for the third straight morning on Friday.
Trainer David Fawkes brought the 6-year-old mare back from Gulfstream Park on Tuesday, and she has been ridden in the morning by Fawkes' 18-year-old daughter and assistant, Natalie.
"She's doing excellent. There's no change in her at all," Fawkes said. "I did bring her up here with another horse, a New York-bred filly, and they were so good in the truck. She ships so good."
Fawkes said Sheer Drama will continue to gallop this weekend and have a work likely next Thursday in preparation for her next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina on Travers Day, August 27.
"I'll probably just do a little open gallop this week, let her stretch her legs on the track and then give her one more work before the Ballerina," he said. "I don't think she needs any more than that. She's really fit. She's been working really good and doing good."
An Eclipse Award finalist for champion older female in 2015, Sheer Drama has seven wins from 28 career starts and nearly $1.7 million in purse earnings. She opened 2016 by winning the Madison April 9 at Keeneland, her third Grade 1 victory including last year's 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign at Saratoga.
Sheer Drama will be cutting back to seven furlongs for the Ballerina, which is not a concern for Fawkes.
"I love the distance. She won at Keeneland going seven-eighths and she likes this track," he said. "I think it's really good for her."
Fawkes said that Daring Kathy, impressive winner of the Soaring Softly during last weekend's Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream, remains in South Florida. He was considering running her in the $100,000 Smart N Fancy here August 28.
"Originally I was going to bring her up here but she ran so big and ran back to her old races and seemed like her old self again," Fawkes said. "We kind of wanted to keep her there and let her stay with her own. I think those sprint races really helped her a lot to get her on her feet. I'm a lot happier with her."
Source: NYRA Communications