Cynane has already defeated a few of her challengers in the $125,000 Queen Stakes on Saturday night at Turfway Park. However, she has never faced multiple stakes winner Ms. Tart.
Ms. Tart won the Grade 3 Royal North at Woodbine and the Satin and Lace at Presque Isle Downs last year for trainer Kevin Rice and owner Nathan McCauley. She was purchased for $375,000 at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale as a racing or broodmare prospect by Mulholland Springs, and transferred by the farm and new co-owner Judy Pryor to John Ennis in Kentucky.
In her first start for the new barn, Ms. Tart was third in the Holiday Inaugural in December at Turfway after setting a pressured pace on the inside. She got a more comfortable outside trip in the Wishing Well Stakes on Feb. 6, and drew clear to win by 2 3/4 lengths.
Ms. Tart is drawn in post 6 for the six-furlong Queen, which drew a full field of 12. There is speed both inside and outside of her, and Adam Beschizza will have decisions to make to work out another comfortable trip.
Cynane, trained by Brad Cox, is, coincidentally, co-owned by McCauley with Forever Spring Farm. The 5-year-old, who has drawn post 10 under Luan Machado, has shown the ability to adjust tactically.
Two starts back on Jan. 3, she won an allowance/optional-claiming race on the lead, with Queen entrant Mom’s Cheesecake second. Last time out, in another allowance/optional-claiming race on Feb. 13, she stalked from just off the pace before coming on to win over Zo Lee, who is also back Saturday.
Cynane, whose two straight wins have made her a slim favorite on the morning line over Ms. Tart, earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 87 last out, which makes her competitive here. Ms. Tart earned a career-best 88 in the Wishing Well.
Godolphin has entered the well-bred pair of Dala, trained by Eoin Harty, and Civetta, trained by Brendan Walsh. Dala, who has won four of six overall, was one of the choices in the Wishing Well following a win at Turfway in December. However, in her stakes debut and first start start without Lasix, she finished a non-factor seventh.
Grade 3-placed turf sprinter Civetta comes in from New Orleans, where she was third to the well-regarded Shining Star in the Mardi Gras on Feb. 17.
Walsh also trains Bourbon Memory for a partnership led by Bourbon Lane Stable. The filly is returning to her favorite track for her first start since June. She won her first four career starts at Turfway, including the Serena’s Song Stakes, before finishing off the board in two dirt sprint stakes at Churchill Downs.
Whippoorwill has also shown local affinity, winning two straight races at Turfway against allowance company, with Beyers of 85 and 86, which stack her up well in this field.
Lithe Spirit won the 2025 Queen for her third straight victory at Turfway, but has been off the board in four outings since, including a fourth in the Holiday Inaugural and a fifth in the Wishing Well.
Shore War is coming off a local win. Mega Mil, who has raced at Parx and Aqueduct this winter, comes in for her first start on synthetic. The field is completed by Sunna, who is cross-entered on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where she ran a strong figure winning a claiming race last out.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.