Sister Blues aims for fourth consecutive win in Ramsey Farm

Sister Blues goes for her fourth straight victory in the Ramsey Farm Stakes, coming in off a small stakes at Louisiana Downs in her last start. Trainer Brad Cox has a second live contender in La Piba, who won the West Virginia Senate President’s Cup in her first start for Cox and owner Miller Racing after being purchased for $77,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s horses of racing age auction in July.

Lucky Seven Stable’s Sister Blues has won and been a close second in two starts at 1 3/8 miles, “so I don’t think distance should be an issue,” Cox said. “She doing well. It’s a solid group of fillies, so we’ll see.

“This is the first time La Piba has run that long, but her last race indicated that she could possibly get the distance. We’re looking forward to running her. She’s looking great.”

If Miller Racing hasn’t completely covered the purchase price on La Piba after one race, “she’s worth something as a broodmare,” Cox said. “She went from being stakes-placed to a stakes-winner, so that increases her value. They’re kind of out on her.”

Cox said he never considered this past Saturday’s Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf at a mile for La Piba. 

“We really didn’t want to run against Miss Temple City and that group,” he said of the mare who twice beat boys last year in Grade 1 stakes at Keeneland and who won the Ladies Turf. “Hopefully the added ground helps her. She acts like she can run that far… Ramsey and Maker are tough going long on the grass, so we’ll see what happens. Both these fillies belong, simple as that.”