Study Guide: 2022 Mamzelle Stakes
May 12, 2022
Twilight Gleaming winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Del Mar (Photo by Horsephotos.com)
A dozen three-year-old fillies will square in Saturday's $160,000 Mamzelle S. at Churchill Downs, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint potentially serving as an early steppingstone toward the 2022 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.
Certainly the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint could be a long-term goal for Twilight Gleaming, the expected Mamzelle betting favorite.
Let's check out the field and see who Twilight Gleaming is facing:
| Total 8 start(s) |
Top Speed Rating: (81) when finishing third in a maiden special weight at Kentucky Downs. |
| Wins: 2 | Total Earnings: $94,046 |
| Place: 1 | |
| Show: 2 |
| Owner: Brereton C. Jones | Sire: Summer Front |
| Breeder: Brereton C. Jones | Dam: Street Minstrel |
| Trainer: Neil Pessin | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Corey Lanerie |
Trobairitz may have lost her first five starts, but three of those defeats came racing one mile. She was more effective when cutting back to 5 1/2 furlongs at Fair Grounds during the winter, winning a maiden special weight and an allowance with sharp late rallies. Subsequently last of eight in the one-mile Appalachian S. (G2), Trobairitz should appreciate dropping down in class and distance for the Mamzelle, though her career-best 81 Brisnet Speed rating looks a little light against this field.
| Total 4 start(s) |
Top Speed Rating: (89) when finishing second in the Ainsworth S. at Kentucky Downs |
| Wins: 2 | Total Earnings: $164,000 |
| Place: 1 | |
| Show: 1 |
| Owner: MeB Racing Stables and Vincent D. Esopi | Sire: Maclean's Music |
| Breeder: Pursuit of Success | Dam: Cloudburst |
| Trainer: Todd Pletcher | Color: Dark bay/brown |
| Jockey: Ricardo Santana |
Never out of the trifecta in four starts last year, Mystic Eyes was beaten only one length in Belmont Park's Matron S. (G3) before posting a gate-to-wire win in the Stewart Manor S. over the same course and six-furlong trip. Mystic Eyes hasn't run since, but she's been training nicely and brings plenty of pacesetting speed to the table. If she's improved at all with maturity, Mystic Eyes should land another top-three finish in the Mamzelle.
| Total 2 start(s) |
Top Speed Rating: (85) when winning her debut at Fair Grounds. |
| Wins: 1 | Total Earnings: $28,975 |
| Place: 0 | |
| Show: 0 |
| Owner: Todd Moore | Sire: Daredevil |
| Breeder: Allied Racing Stable | Dam: Sweet Summer Sun |
| Trainer: Michelle Lovell | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Jack Gilligan |
Margie's Kitchen faded to finish ninth in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance at Keeneland last month, but it wasn't a bad effort by any means, considering she led for nearly 5 1/2 furlongs over a surface (dirt) that might not be her best. Margie's Kitchen had previously trounced a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight field on turf at Fair Grounds by three lengths, earning a respectable 85 Brisnet Speed rating, so she's eligible to outrun expectations at a nice price while returning to grass in the Mamzelle.
| Total 5 start(s) |
Top Speed Rating: (83) when winning his debut at Kentucky Downs. |
| Wins: 1 | Total Earnings: $96,070 |
| Place: 1 | |
| Show: 1 |
| Owner: Godolphin | Sire: Street Boss |
| Breeder: Godolphin | Dam: Dowager |
| Trainer: Brendan Walsh | Color: Chestnut |
| Jockey: Adam Beschizza |
Boxing Day hasn't finished out of the trifecta in a trio of sprint starts, including a pair of allowances dashing 5 1/2 furlongs over the Fair Grounds turf course. But those efforts produced Brisnet Speed ratings of 78 and 79, which leaves Boxing Day with some form to find against Saturday's caliber of competition.
| Total 6 start(s) |
Top Speed Rating: (92) when finishing second in the Palisades S. at Churchill Downs. |
| Wins: 3 | Total Earnings: $666,555 |
| Place: 3 | |
| Show: 0 |
| Owner: Stonestreet Stables | Sire: National Defense |
| Breeder: Pier House Stud | Dam: Thames Pageant |
| Trainer: Wesley Ward | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione |
The filly to beat in the Mamzelle is Twilight Gleaming, who hasn't missed the exacta in half a dozen starts for high-percentage trainer Wesley Ward. The globetrotting filly wired the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) and kicked off 2022 with a gallant runner-up effort in the Palisades S. at Keeneland, beaten less than one length by 2021 Futurity S. (G3) winner Slipstream. After facing male rivals in three straight races, Twilight Gleaming is squaring off against fellow fillies in the Mamzelle and should be difficult to catch under jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
| Total 7 start(s) |
Top Speed Rating: (82) when winning an Indiana Grand allowance. |
| Wins: 2 | Total Earnings: $55,827 |
| Place: 1 | |
| Show: 0 |
| Owner: Victory Racing Stable | Sire: Overanalyze |
| Breeder: Stonehaven Steadings | Dam: Can You Talk |
| Trainer: Rey Hernandez | Color: Dark bay/brown |
| Jockey: Edgar Morales |
Sunday Grace was much the best in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance at Indiana Grand last month, pressing the pace before powering clear to win by 7 3/4 lengths. But that effort came on dirt, and Sunday Grace has yet to race on turf, so switching surfaces (while simultaneously stepping up in class) is a meaningful obstacle to overcome.
| Total 11 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (87) when breaking her maiden at Turfway Park |
| Wins: 1 | Total Earnings: $80,234 |
| Place: 1 | |
| Show: 3 |
| Owner: Jerry Jamgotchian | Sire: Klimt |
| Breeder: Woods Edge Farm | Dam: Guiltless |
| Trainer: Eric Reed | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Sonny Leon |
Royal County was an impressive maiden winner over the synthetic track at Turfway Park last December, winning by 6 3/4 lengths with a career-best 87 Brisnet Speed rating. But three subsequent sprints over the same surface have yielded out-of-the-money finishes, most recently a sixth-place effort in a six-furlong allowance. Royal County will need a rebound to challenge against tougher competition in the Mamzelle, especially while switching from Tapeta to turf, for the trainer and jockey that pulled off last week's Kentucky Derby shock.
| Total 7 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (85) when finishing second in a Turfway Park allowance. |
| Wins: 2 | Total Earnings: $80,842 |
| Place: 0 | |
| Show: 0 |
| Owner: Chuck and Maribeth Sandford | Sire: Speightster |
| Breeder: Chuck Sandford and Maribeth Sandford | Dam: Countess d'Oro |
| Trainer: Brendan Walsh | Color: Chestnut |
| Jockey: Joe Talamo |
Can Majestic d'Oro compete against stakes competition on turf? The answer is unclear. She's won on dirt and synthetic, but has never raced on turf. She's been beaten by double-digit margins in all three of her stakes attempts, but could potentially improve while switching surfaces. Majestic d'Oro is exiting a tough renewal of the Beaumont S. (G3) at Keeneland and might have a shot to crack the top four in the Mamzelle if she handles the switch to grass.
| Total 4 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (81) when breaking her maiden at Churchill Downs. |
| Wins: 1 | Total Earnings: $49,470 |
| Place: 1 | |
| Show: 0 |
| Owner: Amy E. Dunne, Pat Harlow, Brenda Miley, and Jean Wilkinson | Sire: Kodiac |
| Breeder: Mr. M. Gittins | Dam: Shimmering Moment |
| Trainer: Rusty Arnold | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Julien Leparoux |
Artos broke her maiden sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs last fall, prevailing by a nose over a pair of next-out winners. She subsequently ran well in the Queen Mary S. (G2) at England's prestigious Royal Ascot meet, finishing fourth by 3 1/4 lengths while coming home only two lengths behind runner-up Twilight Gleaming. Artos failed to replicate that form when returning from a long layoff in the five-furlong Melody of Colors S. at Gulfstream Park in March, finishing last of nine, but she's trained nicely since then and is eligible to bounce back with a big effort in her second start of the season.
| Total 6 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (90) when breaking her maiden at Churchill Downs. |
| Wins: 2 | Total Earnings: $166,229 |
| Place: 0 | |
| Show: 2 |
| Owner: L. William Heiligbrodt, Corinne Heiligbrodt, and Spendthrift Farm | Sire: Speightstown |
| Breeder: Spruce Lane Farm and Speightstown Syndicate | Dam: Plenty O'Toole |
| Trainer: Steve Asmussen | Color: Chestnut |
| Jockey: Vincent Cheminaud |
It's tricky to analyze the form of Tizplenty. She's placed against stakes company on turf, but both of her wins have been achieved on dirt, as have her three highest Brisnet Speed ratings. Tizplenty is bred to thrive on the main track (half-brother Mr. Money even won five Grade 3 stakes on dirt), so it's possible Saturday's surface will prove less than ideal.
| Total 8 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (99) when finishing second in the Sandpiper S. at Tampa Bay Downs. |
| Wins: 1 | Total Earnings: $74,056 |
| Place: 2 | |
| Show: 1 |
| Owner: J D Farms | Sire: Will Take Charge |
| Breeder: Whisper Hill Farm | Dam: L. A. Devine |
| Trainer: Jordan Blair | Color: Gray/roan |
| Jockey: Brian Hernandez |
A maiden winner over the Ellis Park turf course last summer, Devine Charger's latest grass effort yielded a runner-up effort in a five-furlong allowance at Tampa Bay Downs. But Devine Charger's strongest efforts from a Brisnet Speed rating perspective (including a neck defeat in the Sandpiper S. at Tampa) have come on dirt, so she is another filly who may find Saturday's surface less than optimal.
| Total 2 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (73) when winning her debut at Colonial Downs. |
| Wins: 1 | Total Earnings: $31,201 |
| Place: 0 | |
| Show: 0 |
| Owner: Martin Racing Stable, Bob Gorsky, and Circustown Racing Stables | Sire: Street Boss |
| Breeder: RGP Ocala Holdings | Dam: Perique |
| Trainer: Bret Calhoun | Color: Gray/roan |
| Jockey: Reylu Gutierrez |
With only two starts under her belt, Street Tapper still has upside for improvement. She won her debut sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over the Colonial Downs turf course last summer, but subsequently faltered in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance at Kentucky Downs, finishing seventh over the tricky European-style course. Street Tapper hasn't run in eight months, but she's trained forwardly for her return and looms as a live longshot wildcard in the Mamzelle.
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