The highlight race this weekend in the Sunshine Sate of Florida is The Davey Jones Handicap (G2), offering up a purse of $200,000 to the fillies and mares that will be going to the starting gate this weekend. The race is open to four-year-old fillies and up and will be run over the main dirt oval over a distance of seven furlongs. This race made its debut during last year’s racing season when the impressive Skidburg, owned and trained by nblye won the race by a length and set the course of things for the race in the future. She will be returning again in this years' race, trying to repeat in her success. Last year the weather was perfect for the running of The Davey Jones Handicap (G2), and it looks like we’ll have more of the same again this year. We will likely have scattered thunderstorms during the latter part of the week, but these will be clearing up before the races go off on Saturday. With good weather on the horizons, this race should attract some top fillies and mares of the area. Let’s take a look at the competition.

1. Vats Of Goo (JPN) - (Afleet x Icecapade x In Reality) - mellown of Planoaxia Stables - M. Wright - 10/1

Originally coming from Japan, the striking light gray mare has scored a total of eleven lifetime wins for her twenty-one career starts. The five-year-old made her last start in The Lost Sea Memorial, a listed stakes race over six and a half furlongs held in Massachusetts. The mare broke right out in front and went straight to the lead in the sprint, but she began to fade in the stretch as other fillies gained on the mare. She would on to a money position, finishing fourth, back by five lengths, and setting a speed figure of ninety-seven. This race was after a series of three consecutive wins, two of which were listed stakes races, The Chachin Run (NY) Stakes and the High Prospects Memorial. Her last graded start was across the country in California last year during The Gleaming Invitational (G2), in which the mare finished third after breaking on the pace out of the gate. The mare should be right on the lead this weekend, or at least fairly close to it, as she loves to be up and out in the front of the pack.

2. Royal Birkdale - (Speightstown x Golden Missile x Seattle Slew) - elranchoti of Seveii Stables - G. Fiddler - 9/1

Out of the broodmare Golden Reasoning, this six-year-old mare is one of the more experienced horses going to the gate this weekend. The chestnut Kentucky-bred has made a total of forty-four lifetime starts, and has come home to win twelve of them. Her most recent start was last month in the Distaff Breeders’ Bowl Cap (G2) over seven furlongs. The mare broke towards the rear of the field, at the very back of the pack in fourteenth, however she started moving forward like a rocket towards the end of the race, and just barely managed to squeak into a money placement, finishing fifth in the race, just four lengths off the pace of the winner. She set a speed figure of one hundred seven for the race. Prior to this the mare won two races consecutively, Most recent of the two was The Heaven’s Gate Stakes, a listed stakes race over seven and a half furlongs. After breaking mid-pack, she won by half a length after rallying in the stretch. Likely to break towards the very rear of the field this weekend, she may have a good set up with the amount of speed that is present in this race. She can also run mid-pack if need be as well.

3. Quay Dancer - (A.P. Indy x Seeking The Gold x Storm Cat) - tulloch of Tulloch Stables - E. Krumrie - 17/1

With twenty-three career starts, the brown six-year-old mare has won a total of six of these starts, collecting career earnings of $331,008. The Kentucky-bred mare is going to need to improve off of her most recent start to be successful this weekend in The Davey Jones Handicap (G2). Her last start was in the Thunderbird Dash Restricted (G1) over six and a half furlongs. The mare broke out of the starting gate in this race towards the middle of the pack, but lost ground throughout the race, eventually finishing at the rear of the field in nineteenth, back thirteen and three-fourth lengths off the pace with a speed figure of eighty-four. Its been a while since the mare as seen her last win. Her last victory came in January of last year during the Dandelion Sprint (G2). She broke closer to the pace and took control of the race when the field entered into the turn before the stretch, and went on to win by a length with a much more impressive speed figure of one hundred seven. The mare should be near the front of the pack this weekend, ideally probably no further back than third or fourth if she’s going to have a good race.

4. Heebie Jeebies - (Scat Daddy x Forty Niner x Danzig) - gwyneth of Chilcoat Stables - J. Nason - 7/1

Out of the graded-placed broodmare Sonoma, the four-year-old homebred filly has been making a nice name for herself, winning four of her last nine starts and turning in some impressive speed figures lately in her races. The Kentucky-bred filly has won seven total of her twenty-three lifetime starts. The biggest challenge for the filly this weekend will be the step up in class to graded stakes racing, which she will be facing for the first time this weekend. Her most recent start was in the Rakida’s Road Stakes, a listed stakes race over seven furlongs held in Kentucky. The filly was held slightly off the pace in fourth behind a few pacesetters. She quickly picked off the other horses and went on to win the race by a length and a quarter, with a speed figure of one hundred fifteen, a lifetime best for the filly. This was the fillies first, and so far only stakes win, though she has finished in the money in all three of her stakes starts. The filly is very versatile with her running style and could be on the pace or towards the rear of the field out of the gate on Saturday, though she has never been placed back further than ninth out of the gate successfully.

5. Stirling Form - (A.P. Indy x Dynaformer x Storm Bird) - jrogue2 of Jrogue Stables - C. Calhoun - 13/1

The first entry for the Jrogue stable group, this mare is the oldest in the field this weekend at seven years of age, though lightly raced with a total of thirty-nine career starts. Of these starts, the brown mare has won nine times in her career and is almost at the one million dollar mark in career earnings. Her most recent start came in the Rakida’s Road Stakes, a listed stakes race over seven furlongs. The Kentucky-bred mare broke mid-pack at the start of the race, but lost ground throughout, finishing twelve and three-fourth lengths off the pace, recording a speed figure of ninety-five for the race. Her most recent graded start was late last year during the Blueberry Stakes (G3) over seven furlongs in Ontario, Canada. The mare finished eighth here, back off the winner by six lengths, though putting in a higher speed figure of one hundred. Her most recent win came towards the middle of last year when she won a photo finish by a nose during The Blackhawk Cup (G3) at seven furlongs. The mare will likely want to run mid-pack out of the gate on Saturday, though she has been being placed further up on the pace in her most recent races.

6. Arias - (Corinthian x Fusaichi Pegasus x Storm Cat) - llmpid of Rafa Stables - O. Barrett - 8/1

In her second consecutive graded stakes start this weekend, the four-year-old filly is out of the graded stakes winning and two-time graded-producing broodmare Zaragoza. The filly, with twenty-three lifetime starts, has won ten races in her career. Her most recent start came last month in Vermont during the Red Dragon Restricted (G1) over a mile. The filly was uncharacteristically far off the pace at the start of the race, breaking thirteenth in the field. She made up some ground once the field came into the stretch, but it wasn’t enough to get her to the wire first. Instead the brown filly would finish ninth, eight and a quarter lengths off the pace, with a speed figure of one hundred one. Her most recent win was last December during the Muscle Shoals Challenge, a listed stakes race at seven and a half furlongs. She broke much closer to the pace in this race, fourth out of the gate, and went on to win by two lengths at the wire. She can be a versatile runner, and has been successful either sitting behind a few pacesetting horses in fourth or so, as well as setting further off the pace towards the middle of the field.

7. Skidburg - (Johannesburg x Sadler’s Wells x Seattle Slew) - nbyle of Jrogue Stables - J. Grubb - 8/1

Having a disappointing race in her last start, the five-year-old Kentucky-bred mare will be looking for the eighth win of her career this weekend. The brown mare is out of the stakes winning broodmare Well Saddled. The mare made her most recent start last month in the Distaff Breeders’ Bowl Cap (G2) over seven furlongs. The mare broke out of the starting gate and was held off in a mid-pack position. However, towards the latter stages of the sprint, the mare would begin to fall back and would eventually finish fourteenth, eleven and three-fourth lengths off the pace, recording a speed figure of ninety-five. This was an uncharacteristic race for the mare though, previously, she had finished second in The Everclear Handicap (G1), in just her prior start. It has been a while since the mare’s last win, about a year this weekend, when she won this very race, The Davey Jones Handicap (G2) by a length as a four year old. The mare will likely want to go out towards the lead out of the gates this Saturday, however, she can also run successfully in a mid-pack position.

8. Will Conquer - (Bernardini x Mr. Prospector x Nijinsky II) - lenny30 of The Empire - P. McJulien - 11/1

A newcomer to the stakes racing scene, the four-year-old filly will be making her first graded stakes start of her career this weekend in The Davey Jones Handicap (G2). She is very lightly raced so far, with just nine lifetime starts. Impressively the brown filly has won five of these races and finished second in another three, only finishing off the board once in her career. Her most recent start was the Betray The Night Challenge, a listed stakes race over six and a half furlongs held in Eastern Kentucky. The filly broke fourth out of the gate and was held behind these horses until they started nearing the stretch. She was let loose and went on to win the race by a length and a quarter, recording a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred fourteen in the process. Her only other stakes start was in the Uno Dos Tres Challenge, a listed stakes over six and a half furlongs, where she finished second. She would probably like to settle behind a few pacesetters on Saturday, likely around fourth or fifth.

9. Lucky Destiny - (War Chant x Forty Niner x Deputy Minister) - coolk of Kevoman Stables - V. Gardner - 7/1

A well-accomplished chestnut filly the Kentucky-bred is out of the stakes winning broodmare Friend Daisy. The filly has won eight career starts and brought home career earnings of $937,114. The four-year-old made her most recent start in the seven furlong Distaff Breeders’ Bowl Cap (G2) last month. The filly broke fourth out of the gate and settled behind a few other pacesetting fillies. She took control of the race near the end and went on to win by one and a half furlongs with a speed figure of one hundred thirteen, a lifetime best for the filly. The connections of the filly hope she can continue on with this superb winning style that she exhibited in her most recent start. She will likely get out of the gates on Saturday towards the middle of the pack, likely somewhere between fifth and eighth at the start.

10. Stoners Owns Texas - (Rahy x Lyphard x Riverman) - fitzgerald of Revelation Stables - R. Maire - 16/1

With her second consecutive start over the main track coming this weekend, the four-year-old fillies connections are hoping their Kentucky-bred filly can notch in her tenth career win this weekend in what will be her eighteenth career start. The brown filly made her most recent start in Vermont during the Thunderbird Dash Restricted (G1), over six and a half furlongs. The brown filly broke out of the gate towards the middle of the pack but lost ground throughout the duration of the dirt sprint, ultimately crossing the wire in tenth, back by six and three-fourth lengths from the winner, and recording a speed figure of ninety-seven. Prior to that start the filly made an allowance start over the turf, preceded by her most recent win, a length and a half victory in the DPCD VIII F/M Dirt Mile Restricted late last year in Delaware. If everything goes well this weekend, the filly will probably be placed behind a few pacesetters at the break of the race.

11. Slammed Connection - (Successful Appeal x Kris S. x Sir Tristram (IRE)) - ramo of The Big Oil Conglomerate - W. Case - 11/1

Returning to graded stakes competition this weekend, the homebred five-year-old will also be trying to score her first win since December. The most recent race for the brown mare was in The Mount Billy Stakes, a six furlong listed stakes race held here in Florida. The mare took off in fourth position, behind a few pacesetters. The mare would gain ground on her fellow competitors, however she would not make up any positions, and would finish where she started in fourth, with a speed figure of one hundred. Her last win was in a seven furlong allowance race overseas in North Korea. The mare will probably be placed behind a few runners on Saturday, probably up no further than third, but back no further than sixth or so out of the gate, although the brown mare has come from far off the pace in a few of her races prior to this weekend.

12. Whiro - (A.P. Indy x Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector) - jonsnow of Given Stables - A. Darling - 17/1

Out of the stakes winning broodmare Mother Of Dragons, the four-year-old filly brings a blue-blooded pedigree to the forefront of The Davey Jones Handicap (G2) field. She has career earnings just past the half a million dollar mark for her nineteen career starts. Though lightly raced for her age, the brown filly has won ten of these starts. The most recent start for the Kentucky-bred came in the six and a half furlong Hurricane Ben Handicap (G3). The filly broke out of the gate waiting behind a few pacesetting fillies, but never made much headway in the race, finishing where she started in third with a speed figure of one hundred seven. Prior to this start she’d impressively won a six furlong allowance race by five and a half lengths, taking the race in wire to wire fashion. This weekend, the filly could be sent straight out to the lead out of the gate, or she could be held back in second or third behind a few pacesetters until they approach the stretch.

13. Army Ranger - (War Front x Kingmambo x Storm Cat) - gipper of Gipper Stables - W. Baumann - 10/1

Coming off of two consecutive wins, the five-year-old mare is out of the multiple Grade I race winning and graded producing broodmare Dangerous Reward. The Kentucky-bred mare has won eleven races and has career earnings that approaching the half a million dollar mark. Her two recent consecutive wins came in the ABACUS Distaff (G2) and a seven furlong allowance race in Ohio. The mare started both of these races slightly off the pace at the start, but quickly began to pick up the pace early on, winning the graded race by one and a half lengths and the allowance race by a quarter of a length. The most recent of the two, the ABACUS Distaff (G2), the mare set a speed figure of one hundred seven in the race. The mare can be versatile, but she will likely be guided to settle just off the pace behind a few pacesetters, or be held a little further in a pack, towards the middle of the field.

14. Blue Letter - (War Eagle x Deputy Minister x Mr. Prospector) - newastin4 of Astins Place - L. Buchta - 7/1

Coming down South for a race, the five-year-old mare has made a total of twenty-nine starts and has earned an impressive $1,087,420. The brown mare is out of the stakes winning broodmare Sunstar. The mare made her most recent start during the Thunderbird Dash Restricted (G1), a six and a half furlong race in Vermont. The mare broke at the back of the pack in the dirt race, but showed good power in the stretch and she rocketed past other horses towards the wire. She would finish third in the race, back by only a length and a quarter, with a speed figure of one hundred six. Her most recent victory came in December during the Blarney Bengal (GB) Memorial, a listed stakes race over six and a half furlongs. She won by a head, after being up close to the pace at the break of the race. The mare is a very versatile runner and could range from being held far off the pace in a closing position, all the way to just off of the pace behind a few pacesetters, however, for this race, look for her probably to be at the rear of the field at the break.

Flrancho’s Picks
Win: Lucky Destiny
Place: Heebie Jeebies
Show: Royal Birkdale