You can probably guess from the title what three fillies I’m about to talk about; Sassy Image, Winter Memories and Éclair de Lune. Memorial Day weekend is always one of the most exciting few days in spring for racing enthusiasts, it ushers in the changing of the guard in a manner of speaking. Most of the big graded stakes races that are held in the southern states and Californian now have to vie with the powerful presence of Belmont Park and New York racing opening for their meets. The Met Mile always takes top billing this weekend every year but a plethora of graded stakes races, beginning on Friday and going through Monday, will play the part of a strong supportive cast with fields chockfull of proven, talented fields.
On Monday the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes, Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes and the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes will represent some of the finest in filly and mare racing spanning three different states; California, New York and Kentucky. Éclair de Lune and Malibu Pier headline a field of eight fillies in the Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park (gr.1). The 1 1/8 mile test for 3 year olds and up will be run with a $250,000 purse this year over the turf and boasts five graded stakes winners.
Malibu Pier enters off two straight graded stakes scores over Santa Anita’s turf course in the March 19th Santa Ana Stakes and the April 16th Santa Barbara Handicap, both grade 2. Éclair de Lune finished fifth behind Malibu Pier in the Santa Ana two starts back and enters riding a four race losing streak where her best finish was fourth place. Dubawi Heights will stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time but has won her last three starts, two of them over Hollywood Park’s turf course. Cozie Rosie last finished second to Malibu Pier in the Santa Barbara Handicap. She started the year out winning the Beuna Vista Handicap (gr.2) over Briecat and Malibu Pier before closing out 2010 with a Grade 3 win and another Grade 2 runner up finish to Evening Jewel in the Honeymoon Stakes way back in late May.
I’ve always liked Éclair de Lune a lot but I think Cozie Rosie and Malibu Pier have superior form coming into this race and Dubawi Heights seems to be rounding into the best condition of her career. [Click here to continue reading about the Gamely, Sands Point and Winning Colors Stakes on Distaff Runner at Horse Racing Nation]
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