Teddy's Promise Tries to Regain Winning Ways
A winner of the Grade I La Brea Stakes a year ago, California-bred Teddy’s Promise will try to regain her winning touch in Saturday’s $75,000 Kalookan Queen Handicap for fillies and mares three and up at 6 ½ furlongs.
Sent from the rail in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint going seven furlongs on Nov. 3, Teddy’s Promise faltered to finish eighth, beaten 15 ½ lengths. A winner of the Time to Leave Stakes on May 6, the Ted and Judy Nichols homebred has been winless in four subsequent tries. The Kalookan Queen would appear to be a significant drop in class and she’ll be reunited with Victor Espinoza, who has won with her three times, including in the La Brea.
Trained by Ron Ellis, the 4-year-old filly by Salt Lake has earnings of $424,681 from a record of 19-6-2-1.
Bob Baffert and Joe Talamo will combine forces with the Arnold Zetcher-owned Pink Lollipops, who comes off an impressive six furlong allowance score at Santa Anita on Oct. 20. Third, beaten a length by Teddy’s Promise in last May’s Time to Leave, the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly is looking for her first stakes victory. She drilled a sizzling five furlongs on Dec. 17 in 58.60, fastest of 90 works at the distance. Her record stands at 9-3-1-1, with earnings of $130,760.
Rafael Bejarano will stick with the Hollendorfer-trained Going for a Spin in the Kalookan Queen. She comes off a big 3 ½-length score in the state-bred Cat’s Cradle Handicap going 7 ½ furlongs on Nov. 18. Bred in California by her owners, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC, the 4-year-old daughter of Ministers Wild Cat has earnings of $301,952 from a mark of 26-6-7-6.
The complete field for the Kalookan Queen, which will be run as race five, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Pink Lollipops, Joe Talamo, 119; Sizzling Gold, Agapito Delgadillo, 119; Great Hot, Alonso Quinonez, 119; Going for a Spin, Rafael Bejarano, 121; Teddy’s Promise, Victor Espinoza, 118; Givine, Martin Garcia, 119; Snow Fall, Tyler Baze, 119, and Journaliste, Garrett Gomez, 119.