Harford Ghost Looking For Stakes Win
Central -- Unbeaten Lady Tak
will be sitting out Saturday's $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes (GII) and
chances are James Tafel's Allspice, the winner of last fall's Eliza
Stakes at Arlington Park, won't miss her old rival one bit.
With trainer Steve Asmussen electing to train Lady Tak up to the
March 8 Fair Grounds Oaks (GII), the Gene Cilio-trained Allspice has
been installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite for the 1 1/16-mile
Silverbulletday The homebred daughter of Coronado's Quest will be
ridden by jockey Robby Albarado and will be looking for her first
victory of 2003 after a pair of runner-up finishes to Lady Tak in the
Tiffany Lass and the Thelma. Allspice was disqualified and placed third
in the latter.
Despite Lady Tak's absence, Amussen will be strongly represented
by Nelson Bunker Hunt's Souris, runner-up in the $250,000-added Delta
Princess at Delta Downs and winner of Arlington Park's Top Flight, and
the Winchell Family Trust's Arrival Time, a daughter of Affirmed who has
yet to finish worse than second in four career races.
Other contenders include the Bret Calhoun-trained entry of
Rebridled Dreams and Afternoon Dreams; Belle of Perintown, winner of the
Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs; and Kentucky invader Golden
Marlin, the Greg Foley-trained winner of the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at
Turfway Park who will make her two-turn debut in the Silverbulletday.
"We sure think she's been wanting to go two turns all along,"
said Foley.
Foley's filly ran third to Lady Tak and the well regarded
Perfect Story last fall in a Churchill Downs allowance race.
Southeast -- Unbeaten
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) winner Storm Flag Flying, the
champion 2-year-old filly of 2002, moved a step closer to her 3-year-old
debut with a solid half-mile workout on Wednesday at Florida's
Gulfstream Park.
The Shug McGaughey-trained filly breezed four furlongs in :50.60
in her first work of the year at Gulfstream, where she is expected to
make her 2003 bow in the seven furlong, $100,000 Forward Gal (GIII) on
March 14.
"She's doing just fine," said McGaughey. "She was at Payson
Park and I worked her several times there. I just brought her to
Gulfstream and now I'll start to get serious with her."
East -- John Stuart's
Harford Ghost, a dominating winner in a recent allowance race at
Aqueduct, will be favored to score the first stakes victory of her young
career when she faces six 3-year-old filly rivals in Saturday's $75,000
Dearly Precious at Aqueduct.
The Tony Dutrow-trained daughter of Silver Ghost will be ridden
by Richard Migliore and could face strong competition from Lizzy Cool,
winner of the Ruthless Stakes, and Ladyecho, winner of the Marshua
Stakes at Laurel.
West -- Humorous Lady, winner of
the Astarita (GII) against open company at Belmont last fall, will be
favored against 10 California-bred rivals in Saturday's $100,000,
six-furlong Boo La Boo at Santa Anita. Mike Smith will ride Humorous
Lady, who faltered in the final yards in two recent outings at seven
furlongs.
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