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Oaks News
Sophmore Fillies Also Featured In Old Hat Stakes By: Caton Bredar Fresh off a triumphant trip to California where he picked up honors as the trainer of Horse of the Year Saint Liam, Rick Dutrow will try to rise to the top of the leader board in the 3-year-old filly division in Saturday's grade II Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The event is the second of two graded stakes for sophomore fillies on the South Florida program and one of four big races for three-year-olds potentially headed to Louisville in May for either the Kentucky Derby or, in the case of the fillies, the Kentucky Oaks. Dutrow, who won the Davona Dale last year with Sis City, tries for two in a row with the talented Wonder Lady Anne L. The daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Real Quiet has been training steadily at Palm Meadows training center for her three year old debut and at two indicated potential with a clear victory in the grade II Demoiselle at Aqueduct in November going a mile and an eighth. Obviously well suited for longer distances, Wonder Lady Anne L started her career in South Florida at Calder for trainer Tim Ritvo before being purchased by the IEAH Stables and Joe Plumeri and moving to Dutrow's barn in New York. Two for seven lifetime, the filly is the likely favorite for the mile and an eighth, $150,000 event and "strictly the one to beat again", according to reigning champion trainer Todd Pletcher, who will try to do just that with his filly Wait A While. Third behind Wonder Lady Anne L in the Demoiselle, Pletcher's filly put together back to back wins earlier in the fall at Belmont, including the Miss Grillo, a stakes also run at a mile and an eighth. The daughter of Maria's Mon, also the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, broke her maiden on the grass and, as Pletcher told Daily Racing Form, "might be slightly better on the grass than the dirt", but she's also working well on the dirt and will likely be just off the pace. While those two square off in a rematch, two more of the eight Davona Dale starters are also looking to tangle once again. Joe Allen's filly Teammate, trained by Allen Jerkens, was second to Ron and Ricki Rashinski's Bushfire in a two-turn allowance race at Gulfstream last month. According to Hall of Famer Jerkens, a little added ground may be just the ticket for his daughter of A.P. Indy to turn the tables. "You always hope they stretch out," Jerkens said. "We don't really know yet because she's only won the one race." Distance won't be the question two races earlier in the grade III, six and a half furlong Old Hat Stakes, also for three-year-old fillies. While the group may lack success in graded stakes races, they make up for it with consistency with no less than three of the six runners sporting perfect records. Misty Rosette ships in for trainer Jim Chapman with two wins from two starts, and both Miraculous Miss and Yachats--also trained by Pletcher-- are three for three. The field for the Old Hat Stakes, in post position order is: Swap Fliparoo, Somethinaboutbetty, Smart N Pretty, Misty Rosette, Miraculous Miss, and on the outside, Yachats. For the Davona Dale, the field from the inside out: Mia's Reflection, Teammate, Meadow Skippen, Stolen Prayer, Wait A While, Bushfire and, rounding out the field, Wonder Lady Anne L.
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