With known names lined up for the Suncoast Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, the money is sure to flow to these 3-year-old fillies, which could mean value on up-and-coming hopefuls for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.
Her Laugh ships in from Fair Grounds sporting an undefeated record that includes a stakes win and is understandably a short price on the morning line (5-2) here, but when the money settles I am expecting this daughter of Practical Joke to be an underlay, especially considering that Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount.
An even shorter price that makes less sense is La Cara, who like Her Laugh has maiden and stakes wins to her credi, but unlike Her Laugh does not have the speed figures to warrant this kind of short price. Her best race was a one-turn mile, and although the pedigree says longer distance should not be a problem, I need to see one at a short price going two turns off a layoff.
Junta is 12-1 on the morning line, and although I doubt we’ll get that kind of price, I’m sure we’ll get fair value on this Constitution filly who won her debut in stylish and fast-time fashion. I love the pedigree for these two-turn middle distance-type races, and the works since the debut signal she can improve.
Cloe has similar credentials as Junta with just the maiden win to her credit, but that came going 5 1/2 furlongs on synthetic. Being by Tiz the Law out of a Smart Strike mare, she should stretch out fine, but there are questions considering the outside post. She is in the mix, though, at her morning-line price.
A complete toss for me is Italian Soiree, who is 7-2 on the morning line, I guess because she has placed in graded stakes and gets Flavien Prat. But she really needs to contend with the four fillies mentioned so far.
I am pretty chalky in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, so I’d love to get some prices here and will lean on Junta and Cloe in the multi-race wagers.
Photo: Shamela Hanley / Eclipse Sportswire Forever Young, the favorite in international futures betting, leads the list of 13 horses l
Several runners from the Pegasus World Cup stakes had their first works since those Jan. 25 races. They included Locked, the favorite for the Grade 1 Pegasus
The anticipation surrounding Sir Gino’s penultimate run in preparation for Cheltenham hangs in the air. The exciting chaser was to contest the William Hill Be
The race for the Run for the Roses will get tighter when the 2025 Sam F. Davis Stakes r