Margarine Stakes
Grade II
A mile and one sixteenth
Fast Dirt
$250,000
2 years old fillies
 
PP    Horse         Owner    Jockey  Odds 
1  STORM SPUN(KY)  mrbigb  S Bauder  8/1 
2  EX WARRIOR(KY)  gowand4  V Townsend  8/1 
3  JAMMIN' IN SEATTLE(SAF)  godiegogo  M Belanger  10/1 
4  BLOODFLOWERS(KY)  lopo34  N Linville  5/1 
5  NINETY FIVE THESES(KY)  theprofit  B Renfroe  6/1 
6  HEISSE LUFT(GER)  robroe  T Sherr  11/1 
7  VALDESTALE(KY)  valdes  T LeVan  6/1 
8  CALCULATING(ENG)  bigears  T King  14/1 
9  LA FIAMMA(KY)  super24  R Heenan  9/1 
10  CORONADO'S VOW(KY)  esagin  D Conrad  13/1 
11  STORMY PETREL(KY)  runstar  Mo Johnson  18/1 
12  QUEENSLAND STORM(AUS)  graywolf6  T Griffin  28/1 
13  TONE(IRE)  graywolf2  R LeVan  22/1 
14  U THINK I KNOW(NY)  graywolf20  M Welborne  14/1

 

 

The Margarine is one of two graded stakes on a fine Ontario card this Saturday.  It is fashioned for freshman fillies at the distance of one mile and one sixteenth on the main course.  Let's look at the field in post position order.

 

 

Storm Spun is my baby!  She's handled both surfaces well so if she fails to impress this week, it will be back to the lawn.  Her mom, Storm Queen, was strictly a turf horse.  But two of the Hard Spun filly's three siblings love the dirt.  Stalker type should be within range turning for home so her question of class will be answered in the final eighth of a mile.   

 

 

Ex Warrior is developing nicely for the Goforwand Stables.  The big A. P. Warrior filly has never missed the board in six lifetime tries.  Two back she was a solid third in the Grade III Lean Machine at Cheesehead Downs and last time out was beaten only a neck in an Illinois listed event.  The daughter of stakes winner Dancer Exchange is a serious threat this week.

 

 

Jammin' In Seattle represents OK David's Red Dirt Runners.  The new bridegroom has to be happy with his flashy chestnut daughter of the little known and lesser used stallion Jam Alley.  She is three for three in the money and posted a solid 80 speed rating finishing second in a mile allowance last time out.  Needs only a small step forward to contend this weekend.

 

 

Favored Bloodflowers hails from Waremblem's Winterfell Racing operation.  The Equinics silver medalist has posted back-to-back 86 speed ratings and is already a stakes winner.  Her dam, the prolific stakes producer Pro Cat, will be eligible for open breeding.  I have a feeling someone will take a chance on her rather early.  Especially if she is the dam of three graded winners which most certainly is possible.  A lot of jocks should have a nice view of the back of the owner's distinctive red, white and black silks with the big white star. 

 

 

If at first, second, third, fourth or fifth you don't succeed, try, try, try, try, try again.  Ninety Five Theses would never have been bred by a lot of trainers.  Her dam, Chase Seattle, was awful.  Never hit the board in eleven career starts before mercifully being retired.  Four of her first five foals were useless and the other was just an ordinary allowance horse.  But number six is special, a testament to The Profit's determination.  His Johannesburg filly has won two stakes including the Grade III Lean Machine.  One of many with a legitimate shot. 

 

 

Ireland based Brisma sends out Heisse Luft for this test.  The daughter of Monsun and career claimer Hot Pony is perfect on dirt in her brief career.  Two for two.  Including a listed stake in Italy.  Hot Pony (Polish Patriot) was almost as bad as Chase Seattle.  One for twenty eight lifetime and no speed ratings above seventy nine.  Brisma claimed her and she tanked twice at odds of 85-1 and 82-1.  But the breeding to Monsun worked out great and all's well that ends well. 

 

 

Veteran trainer Fernando sends out his deadly, deep closing Valdestale for the Margarine.  The striking Tale Of The Cat filly ran past every rival in winning each of her first three races before falling short in Equinics.  But even in defeat, the daughter of multiple stakes winner Valdeslew was super impressive, passing ten of her thirteen rivals before running out of ground.  Perhaps the added distance will be just what the doctor ordered.

 

 

A monster on the grass thus far, Calculating tries dirt for the first time this week.  The pride and joy of Pedro's Racing Empire has never been worse than second.  She is stakes placed twice and has won a mile allowance race.  So the distance should prove no barrier to the Shamardal x Ms Dixieland filly.  Can she switch surfaces and become a graded winner like her mom?  Tune in Saturday for the answer.

 

 

The Supers look to take down the lion's share of the quarter million dollar purse with their off track loving La Fiamma.  The Bernardini filly is a third generation superstar being the granddaughter of the brilliant, graded millionaire Baylee's Dreamer and a daughter of Destined (Rahy).  La Fiamma won the Grade III Shut-Yer-Lips Juvenile over a good track last time out and was twice victorious in the slop to begin her career.  The dry conditions shouldn't be a major deterrent as she is stakes placed on dry dirt.  Big shot at a decent price.

 

 

Coronado's Vow (Broken Vow) will be making her added money debut on Saturday.  She has performed admirably against allowance competition so far.  The first foal of Blackcountry Chris is a long shot to carry the unique Pittsburgh Steelers colors of Out In Front Inc. into the winners circle, but stranger things have happened.  Her last try, a dirt mile allowance win at Hoosier Park, resulted in an 81 speed figure and we all know that juvy fillies often improve or regress quite a bit from one start to the next.  Upset potential.

 

 

Stormy Petrel represents the newest Great Plains residency member, Rising Star Stables.  Sarah my rue the day she joined up with that irreverent bunch, but she'll never regret breeding this filly.  The daughter of Dehere and career claimer Turnfour (Cape Canaveral) has not missed the board in four lifetime starts and fell just a scant nose shy of winning a Tennessee stake last time out.  Likes to be on or near the pace.  Long shot may last longer than expected. 

 

 

OK, anybody know exactly what Graywolf did to incur the displeasure of the racing gods?  Besides just being Graywolf, that is, which might be enough, now that I think of it.  I mean, what are the chances of entering three horses into a race and landing all three outside posts in a random draw?  Kaif could probably calculate the odds.  It has to be a ginormous number.

 

 

The first of Graywolf's luckless lasses is the longest shot on the board.  Queensland Storm actually looks pretty good.  After a forgettable debut on turf, she won her first dirt try and then finished second in a main course listed stake.  Speed numbers have been rapidly improving so this lady might just possibly outrun her odds.

 

 

Tone is another nice looking long shot.  She won a listed stake with a 79 speed figure last time out and is three for five lifetime on dirt.  I could easily see the only stakes winning daughter of her sire, Wolfe Tone, wreaking havoc upon the favorites.

 

 

Last but not least is U Think I Know.  Graywolf's obscurely bred filly is by Utopia and out of Axium Electra who is by Dahyah.  She returns to North America following a fairly successful pilgrimage to Dubai.  After splitting the field in the Grade II Red Fish Blue Fish, the New York bred set all the pace in a listed sprint before being beaten right on the line.  She earned a career best 82 speed number for that effort and needs only minor improvement to share at a price. 

 

 

There they are.  The fourteen hopefuls.  A potential Breeders Bowl starting berth on the line.  Stop by Saturday and see what happens.