SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After winning her first three career starts by a combined margin of 38 lengths, it appeared Munnys Gold could be the next sensation in the filly and mare sprint division. But 16 months after the third of those one-sided victories, Munnys Gold is still searching for her first graded stakes win, a milestone she may finally attain when taking on seven rivals in Wednesday’s $200,000, Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga.
Munnys Gold, a Florida-bred daughter of Munnings trained by Todd Pletcher, joined a select group by earning a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure in her career debut (101), graduating by 14 1/2 lengths in her only start at 2 in June 2022 at Monmouth Park. After similarly easy victories to open her 3-year-old campaign, Munnys Gold stepped into graded stakes company in each of her next three starts, finishing second as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 2 Eight Belles, fourth in the Grade 1 Acorn, and third in the Grade 1 Test here last summer. She then wen to the sidelines for the remainder of the season.
Pletcher finally brought Munnys Gold back to launch her 4-year-old campaign here on Belmont Stakes weekend. The speedy filly led at every call to register a two-length, entry-level allowance win for which she received a 98 Beyer Figure.
“I thought her first race back off the layoff was very good and she’s continued to train well since,” Pletcher said. “And although she’s been on the lead in most of her races, I don’t believe she’s necessarily a one-dimensional type, especially being drawn on the outside like she is for this race.”
Despite her imposing résumé and the fact she shares the highest last-race Beyer in the field with Spirit Wind, Munnys Gold has been assigned just 118 pounds for the Honorable Miss, four less than co-highweights Accede and Clearly Unhinged.
Speed has been a major asset for Spirit Wind throughout her career, although she showed a new dimension by rallying from just off the early leaders under her new rider Mike Smith to score a popular 3 1/2-length victory in the Memorial Day Sprint on May 27 at Lone Star Park. The win was the fifth in six starts going six furlongs for Spirit Wind, who will tote 120 pounds with Smith getting a return call from trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. in the Honorable Miss.
“I definitely think six furlongs is her best trip, at that distance I think she’s as good as most sprinters around,” Joseph said. “I always thought she would relax, she certainly finishes better when she’s able to do so, and it’s a very nice dimension for her to have in these types of races.”
Accede has won her last three starts, dating back to an allowance victory last fall at Keeneland, and will turn back in distance after capturing the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses going seven furlongs in game fashion nearly six weeks ago at Aqueduct.
Clearly Unhinged was Grade 1-placed in her 2023 finale in the seven-furlong La Brea at Santa Anita. She has won two in a row for trainer Steve Asmussen, including the Grade 3 Winning Colors when trying six furlongs for the first time in nine career outings eight weeks ago at Churchill Downs.
A rapid pace could prove a plus for late-runners like the New York-bred Sterling Silver, who is seeking to rebound from a disappointing effort as the odds-on favorite in the Dancing Renee at Aqueduct, and Hot Fudge, who rallied from last to finish third behind Accede in the Bed o’ Roses.
Hot Fudge is one of two mares trainer Linda Rice entered in the Honorable Miss. She also has Everyoneloveslinda, a winner of her last two starts on dirt, who rounds out the lineup along with Freedom Speaks, who has yet to win a race on dirt.
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