11.02.2002 Photo By: Four-Footed Fotos   Ken Mahler and Jamie Schloss' Belle Of Perintown, shown winning the Pocahontas Stakes last fall at Churchill Downs in Lousiville, Ky., will make her three-year-old debut in the Tiffany Lass Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La. on Jan. 26.

Lady Tak Hooks Deep Field In Two-Turn Debut
By, John Gaver III

(January 25, 2003) - The chestnut filly Lady Tak, a winner of all three of her career starts, including Fair Grounds' Thelma Stakes on Jan. 4, by a combined total of 20 lengths will attempt to stretch her speed out around two turns for the first time when the Heiligbrodt Racing Stable campaigner faces a competitive field of nine other three-year-old fillies in the 12th running of the $100,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes on Jan. 26 - Super Bowl Sunday - at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.

A Florida-bred daughter of Mutakddim and the Lucky North mare Star Of My Eye, Lady Tak broke her maiden at first-asking by 11 ¾ lengths in wire-to-wire fashion on Oct. 29 at Churchill Downs for trainer Steve Asmussen, who led the nation in number of wins last year and currently sits atop the Fair Grounds trainer's standings. She validated her maiden romp with a 3 ¼-length score in her first start against winners, where she bested Point Given's half-sister, the well-regarded Perfect Story, in a six-furlong, entry-level allowance event under the Twin Spires in Louisville. In her Thelma win, she beat stakes winners Buffalo Jump and Allspice, both of whom are entered back in the Tiffany Lass.

Lady Tak, a free-running filly, has never been farther than six furlongs and will try two-turns and a mile for the first time in the Tiffany Lass. While she's the speed of the speed in the race, she figures to get some pressure from the talented, lightly-raced filly Perfect Wave and must prove she can carry her speed at least around two turns before her connections think about moving on to bigger and better opportunities down the road, a fact that is not lost on Asmussen.

"This (start in the Tiffany Lass) is the beginning of a lot of questions that will be asked about a very fast filly whose pedigree leans towards sprints," Asmussen told Daily Racing Form's Marcus Hersch. Lady Tak, the 6-5 morning line favorite for the Tiffany Lass, will break from post five; regular rider Donnie Meche has the call.

Lady Tak's primary competition figures to come from My Trusty Cat, who ships in from Oaklawn Park for trainer David Vance. A bay daughter of Tale of the Cat, My Trusty Cat is coming off a one-length win over a solid field in the $250,000 Delta Princess Stakes at Delta Downs on Dec. 20. Prior to that effort, she finished third, 3 ½-lengths behind the talented filly My Boston Gal in the Grade II Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. My Trusty Cat and jockey Terry Thompson will break from post nine.

James Tafel's Allspice, winner of the $100,000 Eliza Stakes at Arlington Park last fall, ducked out, was shuffled back yet still managed to finished second to Lady Tak in the Thelma. She will stretch out to a distance in the Tiffany Lass at which she won her only main track start by a whopping 16 lengths for trainer Gene Cilio. With a clean trip, the daughter of Coronado's Quest could turn the tables on Lady Tak going eight furlongs. Allspice gets the services of Robby Albarado and will break from post four.

Belle Of Perintown, winner of the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs last November, will make her three-year-old debut in the Tiffany Lass for trainer Eddie Kenneally. The bay daughter of Dehere was well beaten behind My Trusty Cat in the Grade II Golden Rod at Churchill Downs, but she has been training well since that outing and has never been worse than second in eight-furlong dirt races. She will break from post six under veteran reinsman Calvin Borel.

The lightly raced Overbrook Farm homebred Perfect Wave will make her stakes and two-turn debut in the Tiffany Lass for trainer Dallas Stewart. The daughter of Boston Harbor, who has been very sharp in her morning workouts since her last start, has won both her races, including a solid win in her first outing against winners at Fair Grounds on Dec. 27. Perfect Wave will break from post position three under Shane Sellers.

The complete field for the Tiffany Lass, in post position order with riders, weights and morning line odds is Buffalo Jump, Patrick Husbands, 122, 20-1; Afternoon Dreams, Gerard Melancon, 114, 20-1; Perfect Wave, Shane Sellers, 114, 6-1; Allspice, Robby Albarado, 122, 5-1; Lady Tak, Donnie Meche, 122, 6-5; Belle Of Perintown, Calvin Borel, 122, 12-1; Cashmere Miss, Eddie Martin, Jr., 114, 20-1; Cheryl's Myth, Lonnie Meche, 122, 20-1; My Trusty Cat, Terry Thompson, 122, 7-2 and Lady Mallory, Corey Lanerie, 112, 20-1.

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