Four Virginia-bred horses will compete in stakes races this Saturday December 28th on what is shaping to be a major race day at tracks around the country. Three of the four will battle against each other in the $100,000 Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel while another steps up to Grade I company in the $300,000 American Oaks at Santa Anita.
Bella Aurora, Princess Adira and Still Alive are among ten 2-year-old fillies that will start in the Gin Talking which will be run at seven furlongs on dirt.
Bella Aurora, a Mike Trombetta trainee who was bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm, is 9-2 early. Seeking her third win, she captured a maiden special weight August 16 and an allowance optional claimer November 2, both at Laurel. Virginia racing fans saw her finish second in the Jamestown Stakes September 7 at Colonial Downs. Bella Aurora is by Carpe Diem out of Street Interest by Street Cry and brings a bankroll of $81,140 into the race.
Princess Adira, 10-1 early, is a Lacey Gaudet trainee that was bred by Chance Farm. The Cairo Prince filly has a win and two seconds in three starts and earnings of $39,600. She started her career with the two runner-ups then broke through in a maiden special weight July 26 at Laurel. Out of the More Than Ready mare, Ready Reply, Princess Adira will be ridden by Forest Boyce.
Still Alive, trained by Guadalupe Preciado, is 15-1. The Midshipman filly has a pair of wins in six starts. She captured both at Parx in a maiden special weight August 6 and in an allowance optional claimer on October 20. Bred by Daybreak Stables, Still Alive has earned $73,640 and is out of the Officer mare, Officer Pepper.
The Gin Talking Stakes is the fifth on the card and will go to post at 2:18 PM. There are four other stakes on tap at Laurel.
K P Slickem, trained by Jeff Mullins, will compete in the American Oaks, one of three Grade I Stakes on Santa Anita’s card which was delayed two days by adverse weather. The 3-year-old Include filly will face seven others at the 1 1/4 miles distance on turf. Bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm, K P Slickem has earned $116,749 from eight starts this year. She broke her maiden at Zia Park last December then scored an allowance win at Del Mar in August. In her two year racing career, she has 8 “top three” finishes and earnings of $141,949.
The American Oaks will be the sixth race at Santa Anita Saturday and will go off at 4:44 PM.
Post-Christmas stakes action kicked off December 26 when Virginia-bred and Ashland Stakes winner Out for a Spin took a close second in the $75,000 Bob Fortus Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. The 3-year-old Hard Spun filly led throughout the one mile, 70 yard race and still had command heading into the final 1/16th. Long shot Saracosa caught the frontrunner just before the wire and won by less than a length. Out for a Spin, bred by the William Backer Estate, pushed her seasonal bankroll to $364,610 with the runner-up finish. The winner paid $64.60.