Photo by Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Six Florida-bred 2-year-old fillies will sprint six-and-one-half furlongs on the dirt. None of the participants have gone this distance before.
#1 Sky Proposal (7/2) is making her South Florida debut after earning a victory in a $62,500 optional claiming event at Pimlico, on Sept. 23, after battling back from the rail. Liam Map’s daughter is extremely fast and does like going to the front out of the gate. She is coming off a solid training session for trainer Kelly Breen, who has good numbers across the board and will have jockey Paco Lopez onboard. This is Lopez’s third ride on Sky Proposal -- Lopez and Breen have a 21% strike rate and a 56% WPS percentage over the last year.
#2 Royal Habibi (6/1) is coming off a second-place finish on Nov. 7. She has two wins and one third-place finish in three starts though this is the first time that the daughter of Tapiture is stretching out to the current distance. Royal Habibi, a stalker, has a pair of second-place finishes at GPW already. Plus, jockey Edgar Zayas has a meet-best 24% strike rate in sprint events.
#3 Shea D Summer ((9/5) displayed fantastic speed while winning her debut by a length in a six-furlong $36,000 MSW event. Trainer Carlos David and jockey Emisael Jaramillo, who thrives in sprint events, have a 30% strike rate together over the past year.
#4 Speedy Fire (15/1) returns to the dirt for the first time in three starts. Speedy Fire, who broke her maiden against $25,000-$20,000 maiden claimers the last time out on the turf, finished eighth in her debut on the natural surface.
#5 Briella (5/2), like Shea D Summer, is a speedster though this will be her first venture over five-furlongs. The daughter of Cajun Breeze defeated $60,000 optional claimers the last time out here at GPW, and has yet to finish worse than second in three career starts. Jockey Miguel Vaquez and trainer Michael Yates have won 26% of the time they have worked together over the last year.
#6 Special Princess ( 5/1) broke her maiden the last time out, drawing off for a five-furlong victory in a $36,000 maiden special weight event. She generally works off the pace. This will be Special Princess’ smallest field.
Analysts: This is a wide-open field. I really like Briella in this one but am concerned that she and She D Summer will get into a speed duel leaving the door open for the others. If that occurs, Sky Proposal -- the only horse in the field to race over six and one-half furlongs -- could hit pay dirt with a good trip.
Daniel’s Pick Best Bets: Show Bet:#1 2. Exacta Box #1, #5, #6.
AUTHOR: Daniel
