JUVENILE FILLIES DIARY
OCTOBER 18, 2008
by Tim Holland
Same barn, new leader — Approaching the weekend before last MANI
BHAVAN (Storm Boot) was not only Steve Klesaris’s number one juvenile filly but
possibly the leading juvenile filly in the East. However, within a 24-hour
period the pecking order in the barn would change. Lacking any solid stamina
influences in her pedigree and with her front-running style, it may not have
been a huge surprise when, despite setting relatively easy fractions, Mani
Bhavan’s speed failed to carry for the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades S. (G1) trip over
Keeneland’s Polytrack. As disappointed as the connections must have been with
this race, they did not have to wait long for compensation as the following
afternoon SKY DIVA took her place as the leading two-year-old filly in the East
through winning the Frizette S. (G1) at Belmont.
A daughter of Sky Mesa, who after a slow start is starting to prove himself
as a top stallion with good performers on all surfaces, Sky Diva broke her
maiden by 10 lengths at Delaware Park and was making just her second start in
the Frizette. After rating in midpack the chestnut took the lead in upper
stretch before drawing off under mild encouragement by Ramon Dominguez to win
unchallenged by nearly four lengths in a most impressive performance, earning a
BRIS Speed rating of 98. Chasing Sky Diva home was the favorite PERSISTENTLY
(Smoke Glacken) whose effort mirrored that of her two-length second-place Matron
S. (G2) finish to DOREMIFASOLLATIDO (Bernstein) in her previous start. On both
occasions the Shug McGaughey trainee closed from far back in good performances
while not threatening the winners, but both times proved easily the best of the
remainder.
Sprinter — The betting public was proven right in the prediction that
the Frizette was limited to three contenders when GEMSWICK PARK completed the
trifecta for the first three choices. Breaking from the outside post the
daughter of the 2004 champion sprinter, Speightstown, set solid fractions into
the stretch but continued well to hold third, but sprinting may be her best
game.
Turf pedigree working on synthetics –While Mani Bhavan may be better
suited to conventional dirt surfaces and sprint distances, the winner of the
Alcibiades, the Ken McPeek-trained DREAM EMPRESS (Bernstein) will surely be a
factor in the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) over Santa Anita’s
Pro-Ride surface. After breaking her maiden on the grass at Saratoga, Dream
Empress — who owns a turf bias pedigree through being by Bernstein out of a
mare by Nijinsky II — transferred her talent effectively to the synthetic
surface recording a BRIS rating of 95 through an easy 4 1/4-length victory
coming from just off the pace.
Potential — Finishing second in the Alcibiades having led at the top
of the stretch was the D. Wayne Lukas-trained BE SMART, who is the best
offspring to be seen thus far by 2004 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Smarty Jones.
While soundly beaten by the winner, Be Smart’s performance is better than it
looks. Indeed, after tracking Mani Bhavan early, and allowing that rival the
advantage of running a first quarter of 23 seconds, jockey Garrett Gomez took
the imitative and sent his filly up to duel with that rival, a move that could
have taken all the fight out of both runners. This was the first time that Mani
Bhavan had been headed and after she folded, Gomez had little option but to kick
for home well before the final turn. It was no surprise when Dream Empress, who
had enjoyed a perfect trip, went on to win, but it was a credit to Be Smart that
she held on well to be second.
More promise – – Third-place Alcibiades finisher, DEVOTEE, also
deserves credit as she too was involved in the early pace and, despite showing
greenness in the stretch kept on for third. Conditioned by Tom Albertrani for
Darley stable, Devotee is by Elusive Quality out of a mare by Sunday Silence and
similar to Be Smart, may be better suited to dirt rather than synthetic
surfaces..
Repeat — Out west the Oak Leaf S. (G1) proved to be a virtual rerun
of the Del Mar Debutante (G1) with STARDOM BOUND (Tapit) and PALACIO DE AMOR
(Dixieland Band) running one-two both times and with the winner recording a BRIS
rating of 95 each time. After once again cutting out the early fractions Palacio
de Amor was again game to the finish, managing to hold on to second but each
time has been no match for Stardom Bound’s late kick. The fact that these two
have employed such different running styles to such similar results at the two
different tracks may be an indication of the fairness of the California
synthetic surfaces. The two will meet again next weekend.