RGD Stakes-GIII

7/9/2011   DEL   Race #2   1 3/8m   Turf   Graded Stake 

Purse $200.000 For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward

You have to admire an owner willing to take chances with a young champion and this weekend at DEL is a prime example. 2010 BC Juvenile Fillies winner Fine As Wine will make her turf debut while racing against her elders for the first time in the GIII RGD Stakes. The Second Chance Farms sophomore filly is fresh off a big win in the GIII Dogwood at CD last month. She smashed the former stakes record by running the mile dirt course in 1:35.96. Marta My Dear set the previous stakes record of 1:37.10 when she won last year.

Fine As Wine will take on five fillies and mares, including some graded stakes winners like Nancy Grace, the six year old veteran champion who is twice her age. Among the other graded turf stars are Pheasant Plucker, Floral Design and Trial By Jury. Rounding out the field is stakes winner Dark Moon, a four-year-old filly seeking her first graded win after placing in her last on an off track.  

The RGD stakes is one of three black type affairs on the card for Saturday but with Fine As Wine making her turf debut against her elders, it is almost certain to be one of the most dramatic.

Here is the field:

1    Fine As Wine   Second Chance Farms   Napravnik R   120 This three-year-old daughter of Sandy Rube was bred by the owner. She started her juvenile season by winning her first three races, including her black type debut.  She came in third in her first graded attempt and then defeated a top field of sophomore fillies including Roundheel and Mai Mia Bambina in the GI BC Juvenile Fillies. This year she missed the board in two graded races, but ships in off a big win in the GIII Dogwood at CD last month. Not only is she racing against her elders for the first time, she is also making her turf debut while stretching out past 1 1/8 mile for the first time. She has just one turf breeze on record and that was back in February. She faces a major challenge, but the tall bay filly does lead the field in purse money earned with over $1,000.000 in the bank.

2    Pheasant Plucker   Ken Allan   Carmouche K   123 This five-year-old autogen mare was developed by the owner.   She missed the board just once in her thirteen-race career. Pheasant Plucker won her first four races in a row, including her black type debut in the 7/2010 GIII Modesty Handicap. She set a new stakes record while earning her first triple digit speed figure. She went on to win a place in three graded stakes that year. She started 2011 with back-to-back long sod allowance wins and makes her first graded start of the year. She loves the distance and the surface and gets both here.  

3    Nancy Grace   Australia Wide   Rose J   123 This six-year-old autogen mare was developed by Power Racing and auctioned on 12/26/2009 to her current connections for $235.010. She raced in seven stakes since switching silks. She won two of those and finished in the money in four others. She ships in off an easy win in the statebred Lyphard stakes, where she ran off to a seven length victory. The big chestnut mare is another who loves the long sod and should do well here.

4    Floral Design   Spongebob   Pimentel J   125 This four-year-old daughter of Balmerino was bred by Acber Farms. She went through the sales ring three times, the most recently on 3/23/2011 for $65.020. She repaid her new connections by winning her first two stakes races, including the GIII Beaugay. She ships in off a show finish in the GIII Violet last May. A deep closer, she should benefit from the added distance here.  The good-looking black filly has matured nicely, but will carry high weight of 125 due to her recent stakes efforts.  She prepped well and aims to figure.

5    Dark Shine   Cajun Stables   Castellano A Jr   123 This four-year-old daughter of Black Moon was bred by the owner. She won her first and only career stakes race last fall, when she finished in a dead heat with Christmas Ace while setting a new stakes record. Though she has just one stakes win, she hit the board in five others including the recent GIII ET Mint Julep where she finished second. Dark Shine is a versatile runner that can win on or off the pace.  Her recent works indicate a filly ready to try for her first graded score.

6    Trial By Jury   Cajun Stables   Caraballo J C   123 This five-year-old autogen mare is the second entry for Cajun Stables. A veteran of twenty-six races, she won five of those and hit the board in many others. She ships in off three place finishes in graded stakes, the most recent being the GIII OB Distaff Handicap. Always competitive on the long sod, she should turn in an honest effort here.

PICKS:

3. Nancy Grace

4. Floral Design

2. Pheasant Plucker/ 6. Trial By Jury