Leniently Could Try Aqueduct's Busher
West -- When 30-1 longshot
Elloluv defeated the heavily favored Composure, who had just finished a
strong second to eventual 2-year-old filly champion Storm Flag Flying in
the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade I), the result was clearly a
shocking upset.
A similar result will be much less surprising as those fillies
meet again on Sunday in the $200,000 Las Virgenes (GI) at Santa Anita.
The Craig Dollase-trained daughter of Gilded Time won by four-lengths
over the Bob Baffert-trained Composure in their first meeting at
Hollywood Park and returned to win the Santa Ynez (GII) at Santa Anita
at much lower odds.
"She's doing really well," said Dollase. "I'm looking forward
to the showdown between her and Composure."
Elloluv, owned by John Paul Reddam, is now 3-0-1 in four races
with career earnings of $332,700. She will be ridden by Pat Valenzuela,
who has been aboard in each of the filly's stakes victories.
Jockey Jerry Bailey will travel from Florida to ride Composure,
a daughter of Touch Gold who won the Oak Leaf (GII) at Santa Anita last
fall before her near-miss against Storm Flag Flying in the Breeders' Cup
at Arlington Park. The filly, who is owned by Robert and Beverly Lewis,
carries a career record of 2-3-0 in six races and has earned $431,300.
Also in the Las Virgenes field are Maddie's Charm, Favola, Puxa
Saco and Watching You.
Southeast -- The
highly-regarded Perfect Story, a half-sister to 2001 "Horse of the Year"
Point Given, scored a
two-length allowance victory on Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.
Perfect Story, owned by John C. Oxley and trained by John Ward,
Jr., won by two lengths over Final Round and covered the one mile and 70
yards distance in 1:41.40 over a "fast" track. Edgar Prado rode the
daughter of Tale of the Cat, who is expected to make her stakes debut in
the Bonnie Miss (GII) at Gulfstream on March 14.
The race was her first at a two-turn distance and marked her
second win in four career starts.
"It's always good to get the first two-turn race out of the
way," Ward told the Daily Racing Form. "This race should set her up to
do a little more next time."
Central -- Rokeby Rose, the dam
of Mike Pegram's 1999 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner and two-time champion
Silverbulletday, was euthanized Feb. 1 at Highclere, the Kentucky horse
farm where she had spent her final years. The 26-year-old Rokeby Rose
was cremated and her remains were buried on the farm.
East -- Michael Iavorone's Leniently, winner of
a six furlong allowance race at Aqueduct last week, may run next in the
$75,000 Busher Stakes at the same track on March 1.
The Daily Racing Form reported that the daughter of Langfuhr,
trained by Greg Martin, will most likely be pointed to a career on the
grass. But Martin said he would "take a look" at the Busher.
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