I love these stakes races for two-year-old fillies. They are sometimes unpredictable, and the results will vary greatly as the distances increase and the sprinters are separated from the routers. This makes for excellent horse betting opportunities. Last years winner Mini Bhavan didn’t go on to do much, but 2006 winner Octave sure did. She used the Adirondack as a spring board for a second place finish in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies and went on to win the Grade 1 Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks in the following year.

So you thought Medaglia D’oro was going to be a one hit wonder at stud? Think again. Dashing Debby broke her maiden by a whopping 10 1/4 lengths first out in a $100k stakes race. It’s rare to see a horse win first out in a stakes event, but almost unheard of to win by a margin that large. The speedy filly covered 6 furlongs in 1:12 over the deep Calder track. After the race she was purchased by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables and sent to the barn of Steve Asmussen. As anyone who knows the Stonestreet operation well would expect, Robby Albarado was given the mount. She has the best gate speed and obviously stands a huge chance to win here.

Decelerator is back for trainer D. Wayne Lukas after finishing up track in the Schuylerville Stakes on opening day. She won the Grade 3 Debutante Stakes in her second start at Churchill Downs. She faced a much tougher field in the Schuylerville than she does today. Julien Leparoux will have to try and keep her from stumbling out of the gate again. Lukas has had a hot barn lately so it would be no surprise to see this one run well.

Babai Baby is an interesting entry. She went wire to wire and barely held off the closing Successful Score to win her debut by a neck. Successful Score returned to win her next race fairly easy. Jockey Rajiv Maragh is more than holding his own at this meet, and the filly owns a 1:00 1/5 B five furlong move entering the race. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if she emerged victorious here.

Any number of fillies could take this race, but I’ll go with Beautician. She finished second to Hot Dixie Chick in the Schuylerville in her last start. She has a nice closing kick and should be able to swallow of the front runner late in the race. Who do you like?

Quite a few good horses have raced in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes recently. Two years ago Nobiz Like Shobiz won the race after taking the Grade 1 Wood Memorial earlier in the year. Prior to Nobiz Like Shobiz winning the race, After Market reigned supreme. After Market would go on to win the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap, along with Grade 1  Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap. Perhaps the best winner of this race is Artie Schiller who would go on to win the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Mile in the following year. There is a horse entered this year who I think could be mentioned in the same breath as these if he plays his cards right. That colt is trained by Alan Goldberg and is named Straight Story.

Straight Story has just missed beating Battle of Hastings in both of his last starts, the Colonial Turf Cup and the Virginia Derby. CC Lopez was aboard for both races, but future Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will be piloting him this time. The gritty son of Giant’s Causeway has a dynamic running style. He can take the early lead, and stalk from a few lengths back. I love how he went to the lead in the Colonial Turf Cup, dropped back, and came again to miss the winner by a head. This colt has enormous potential and should make quick work of the field at odds of 7/2.

Kent Desormeaux has been lights out on the turf lately. He will be riding Couragous Cat for Bill Mott in this one. Couragous Cat took a minor stakes in his last race, blazing past the finish line in 1:39 3/5 for the 8.5 furlongs distance. The son of Storm Cat has room to improve. I expect him to be stalking a few lengths off the early the pace. The second place finisher in his last win, Al Khali, is also entered here. The ridgling has been moved from the barn of Todd Pletcher to Bill Mott since his last race.

Progeny of Lemon Drop Kid have done well over the lawn, and Lime Rickey is no exception. His most recent trip to the track resulted in a fourth place finish in the Virginia Derby where he was only beaten by three lengths. Before that he was third in the Colonial Turf Cup. He is one of the top contenders in this race.

I really think Straight Story will break out in this race. He has the look of a future star. I’ll be watching and rooting for him tomorrow in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga Racecourse!

Can she be defeated? That is the question running through the minds of racing fans all over the world. Zenyatta, undefeated in 11 starts, is seemingly bulletproof. The five-year-old mare is a daughter of the versatile sire Street Cry. The only time her streak was in danger came in the 2008 Grade 1 Vanity Handicap, where she was up to win by a half of a length over Tough Tiz’s Sis.

The only problem with her streak is that she has been beating up on lesser competition. Unlike Rachel Alexandra, she has yet to face the boys. I wonder if the reason for this is a fear of risking her undefeated record? I do not know. However I do know that she holds a very strong hand for this event. This race looks like it will be another yawner with her sweeping wide late to take the top spot. There’s no point in running to the computer and looking up horse racing betting sites. We know the outcome.

Obviously, Zenyatta isn’t worth a bet at 1/2; at least not for me. I’ll look to Life Is Sweet to spring the upset, something she couldn’t do two races back in the Grade Milady Handicap. The daughter of Storm Cat was most recently third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup against male foes. I’m going to cross my fingers and hope that race did enough to toughen her up and prepare her to become the David to the Goliath that is Zenyatta. She enters the race after a :57 3/5 five furlong bullet. Hopefully Garrett Gomez can do something different this time around to give her the edge over Zenyatta.

Patricia’s Gem is the likely pacesetter after finishing second in a Grade 2 over the lawn last month. Jockey Victor Espinoza is very good with speed types, but it would take a monumental effort for her to take down the top two in this race. Her best chance is to make an easy lead and put the field to sleep.

This race will more likely than not wind up in an easy victory for Zenyatta, but what will it prove? Absolutely nothing. Mr. and Mrs. Moss, please step up to the plate and race your mare against male competition. I’d say chances are she could beat just about any male in the country anyway. Give the fans what they want. What was the purpose of keeping her in training if she is only going to win the same races again?  That is yet another question for which I do not have the answer. If you think you know, leave a comment and enlighten me.

A small field of six has gathered for the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes. The field is led by the Bob Baffert trainee Lookin at Lucky. The son of Smart Strike was sold for $475k at the Keeneland April Sale earlier this year. He did not disappoint in his debut, closing in 12 seconds flat to cover the 6 furlongs distance in 1:10 at Hollywood Park. Jockey Garrett Gomez is the lucky man who gets to pilot this future star. Despite his credentials, victory is not guaranteed.

Smiling Tiger is shipping in from Golden Gate Fields, and he is bringing future hall of fame jockey Russell Baze with him.  He found the winners circle in the Lost in the Fog Stakes last out, trouncing the field by 8 lengths to finish the five furlongs distance in :57 3/5. The son of Hold That Tiger has great early speed, and will give the favorite everything he wants and a little more.

Classical Slew, winner of the Thomas Proctor Memorial, is also a viable option. He was most recently third in the Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship. He was ridden by Garrett Gomez in that race, but will be switching back to Michael Baze for this event. Baze rode this son of Bernstein to victory in his first two starts.

Hurricane Ike can’t be counted out for trainer John Sadler and jockey Joel Rosario. He rallied from fifth to take his debut by 1 3/4 lengths. The runner up in that race returned to win. The son of Graeme Hall enters the race with a sharp 1:10 3/5 H work for six furlongs, but will likely have to move way up to win this event.

Overall, I’m unimpressed with the quality of this field. For a Grade 2 I would expect more horses, and better quality.  I hope that doesn’t speak to the Californians chances in the quickly approaching Breeders Cup Juvenile. I’ll make Smiling  Tiger my top pick. He was dazzling in his first two races, and I assume that jockey Russel Baze is hungry for a marquee horse. Leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts on the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes.

It is my belief that Secretariat is the greatest thoroughbred to ever step on a track. I’m glad that this this Grade 1 race has been named in his honor, but some fans may wonder why its on the turf. Secretariat made the final two starts of his career over the turf, winning the Grade 1 Man O’War and Grade 2 Canadian International. He broke the track record in his Man O’ War win, a record that still stands to this day. Now that we have a little background information, lets take a look at the field for this race!

Take The Points seems to be taking to the turf. He finished third by three quarters of a length last out in the Grade 2 Virginia Derby. The son of Even The Score earned a BRIS figure of 109 for that effort. Prior to that he w

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