The $175,000, Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes Saturday brings collectively a powerful area of 9 fillies and mares working seven furlongs on the all-weather Tapeta floor at Woodbine. All seven completed third or higher of their most up-to-date races, with 5 rising victorious in these begins over the previous two months.
Each Aug Lutes and Our Secret Agent earned their current wins in stakes races: Aug Lutes’ win got here within the Glen Cove Stakes on the distance of the Bessarabian Stakes however on turf; whereas Our Secret Agent gained the Hendrie Stakes on Woodbine’s Tapeta monitor on the barely shorter distance of 6 ½ furlongs. Gidgetta ships into the barn of high coach Josie Carroll after having gained on turf in California final month in a really highly-rated race, which suggests she matches with these. Lady Speightspeare, who’s undefeated in three begins, gained the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes on grass in September 2020 after which returned from practically a yr away from the races in September to win simply. Emmeline might have simply earned her first profession win final month in her ninth profession begin however she completed second in each the Bison Metropolis Stakes and Woodbine Oaks previous to that, so she’s one other contender who seems to suit on all counts on this area. Juxtapose enters the race off a third-place end within the Grade 3 Ontario Matron Stakes 4 weeks in the past, and she or he leads the sphere in profession wins with six, from 13 begins. La Libertee completed third within the Hendrie Stakes behind Our Secret Agent after a troubled begin and might enhance. Spun Glass ships in from Maryland for coach Michael Trombetta, who additionally saddles Aug Lutes, and she or he gained the one time she raced on an all-weather floor beforehand. Final however actually not least is Tuned, who simply gained the All Alongside Stakes on turf at Laurel Park for her third straight win.
Primary win contenders:
Even with so most of the entrants confirmed in stakes or getting into Saturday’s race off high efforts, Aug Lutes and Gidgetta seem to have a major edge over the remainder primarily based on their most up-to-date efforts. Aug Lutes will get slight choice between the pair, not solely as a result of she has gained 4 of 5 profession races and completed second within the different, however as a result of she’s on a sample for vital enchancment off a career-best 102 Equibase Pace Determine earned final month when she posted a 19.60-1 upset within the Glen Cove Stakes at Belmont Park. That race, her first ever on turf, was run on the identical seven-furlong distance of the Bessarabian, and proper earlier than that Aug Lutes rallied from tenth to second within the Duchess Stakes going seven furlongs on the Tapeta major monitor at Woodbine. Jockey Antonio Gallardo, who is likely one of the high jockeys at Woodbine, rode Aug Lutes to a win at Presque Isle Downs in September, which adopted a 10-month layoff, and he rode her once more within the Duchess. She’s prone to take one other step ahead as a calmly raced 3-year-old constructing on the sample of figures from 88 to 95 to 102, and she or he’s confirmed that she loves the all-weather major monitor floor. Aug Lutes could also be very robust to beat on this race.
That being stated, Gidgetta might give Aug Lutes all she will deal with within the Bessarabian if she takes to the floor. She seems to have an affinity for it primarily based on her two current exercises after transport in from California. By no means worse than third in 4 dash races this yr on turf, Gidgetta earned a career-best 108 determine when ending second in Might in a turf dash allowance at Santa Anita Park. Two races later she earned a 105 determine in one other turf dash earlier than posting a 104 determine effort when successful yet one more turf dash by a nostril final month. Owned and bred by well-known sports activities radio host Jim Rome (Jungle Racing), Gidgetta is exhibiting each signal of working as properly on the Tapeta all-weather floor as she did on turf. In her first native exercise on Oct. 30, Gidgetta labored 47.8 seconds for a half-mile, which was the thirteenth better of 90 exercises on the distance on the day. Then, in her most up-to-date exercise on Nov. 8, the filly labored the identical half-mile in a scintillating 47 seconds flat, which was the most effective exercise of the day for the gap. Patrick Husbands is getting on for high coach Josie Carroll and it seems doubtless Gidgetta goes to run one other “A” race like her final 4 sprints. If she does, the stretch run between her and Aug Lutes guarantees to be very thrilling.
Our Secret Agent needs to be thought-about a contender to win as properly. Her constant profession file of 3-6-3 in 12 profession dash races tells us she reveals up with a aggressive effort each time. As a part of that file, Our Secret Agent completed third within the 2020 Bessarabian in addition to second within the 2020 Duchess Stakes (with a career-best 100 determine). Our Secret Agent additionally simply gained the Hendrie Stakes on the barely shorter distance of 6 ½ furlongs final month. The addition of blinkers for that race seems to have made a giant distinction, as did the jockey change to Kazushi Kimura, who had not ridden the filly since July of 2020 when he gained an allowance race at Woodbine aboard her. Her final two dash efforts have yielded 98 and 99 figures, which aren’t too removed from the most effective efforts of Gidgetta and Aug Lutes. Our Secret Agent might have what it takes to win this race, and even when she doesn’t win she is very possible to complete second or third as she’s completed so many instances beforehand.
The remainder of the sphere, with their finest Equibase Pace Figures, is Emmeline (101), Juxtapose (100), La Libertee (91), Lady Speightspeare (98), Spun Glass (96) and Tuned (104).
Win Contenders:
