Snow Face Princess already has put together a good 2-year-old campaign. Fourth in her career debut on dirt, she proceeded to capture a turf-sprint maiden race at Saratoga before getting up late to win the $145,500 Bolton Landing over the same course, earning more than $142,000 in those three starts.
The summer was even more lucrative for her former owner, Gary Lewin, who put Snow Face Princess in the Fasig-Tipton digital sale that ran between Aug. 21-26. The filly topped the online auction, fetching $775,000 – $665,000 more than she’d brought as a yearling.
Ron Winchell’s Winchell Thoroughbreds bought Snow Face Princess, and if things go Winchell’s way, he’ll recoup most of the purchase price Sunday in the $1 million Untapable Stakes.
With 7-5 morning-line favorite Lennilu racing this weekend in Florida and coming out of the Untapable, Snow Face Princess figures to be favored in what still could be a full field of 12. Carded for 6 1/2 furlongs, the Untapable has 14 entrants, and at least one of the also-eligibles can draw in after Lennilu is officially scratched.
Snow Face Princess, by Midshipman, figures to deploy the same stalking style for new trainer Steve Asmussen as she did for former trainer Todd Pletcher. Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard for the maiden win, has the call Sunday.
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In the Bolton Landing, Snow Face Princess raced fourth of just five starters in the early and middle stages, ground away into upper-stretch contention, then took off when belatedly switching leads to run down odds-on favorite Cy Fair.
Another New York shipper, Quiet Street, has a flashier performance on her slim résumé. A Godolphin homebred trained by Bill Mott, Quiet Street got squeezed between rivals just after the start of her career debut and lone race, an Aug. 14 turf sprint at Saratoga. Junior Alvarado, who rides again Sunday, gave the Street Boss filly the most patient of trips, settling Quiet Street last of nine down the backstretch, eschewing a wide turn move – though he had plenty of horse – to await the homestretch to make a run.
Alvarado tipped out Quiet Street, who immediately accelerated, closing fast on the leaders. With the last horse in front of him, Lit Ship, drifting out, Alvarado dove to the inside, a tough ask for a first-time starter. Quiet Street flopped her leads, hesitated, then surged to a neck victory, galloping out well in front.
Quiet Street might have more positional pace than she showed last month, but she’s unlikely to race anywhere near Z Z’s, who blasted to the front in her debut and lone start, an Ellis Park turf-sprint maiden on July 26. The Ellis turf was playing lightning fast at the time, accounting to some extent for Z Z’s opening quarter-mile in a sizzling 21.02 seconds. But more impressive than the first part of her race was the last. Z Z’s turned a two-length stretch-call lead into a sharp five-length score.
“We’ve always liked her from the first day, and she lived up to expectations,” said trainer Brendan Walsh, who saddled two Kentucky Downs winners Thursday. “I think she can improve, and I don’t think she’ll have any problems with the extra furlong. Tyler [Gaffalione] he said he had plenty of horse left at the wire.”
Gaffalione rides Sunday at Del Mar, and Frankie Dettori picks up the mount on Z Z’s. Walsh said he has worked Z Z’s behind horses, and he balked at the assertion his horse would lead again in the Untapable.
“She’s only raced once. She doesn’t have a style yet. She can be wherever she needs to be,” he said.
Kingsolver and Prowess, second and third, respectively, in the Ellis Park Debutante, each have first-turf potential. The six others in the field’s main body exit a turf maiden win, and any of them could step forward.
One thing’s clear: Snow Face Princess’s former owner already has won big.
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Juvenile Mile
The $1 million Juvenile Mile did not draw nearly as interesting a field as the Untapable. Three of the 10 entrants hold an entry in other races, and three of the entrants are maidens. The other seven have no more than one victory, and Street Beast will win this at a short price if he runs back to his most recent start.
Recent in this case means 10 days. On Aug. 28, Street Beast won a $250,000 Kentucky Downs race restricted to 2-year-olds who went through the 2024 Keeneland September yearling sale.
“I’ve had good luck wheeling back quick,” trainer Ben Colebrook said.
Horses running twice at Kentucky Downs regularly find success. That, Colebrook believes, has a lot to do with the quirky nature of the course.
“I think it’s course-related. If they show an affinity for the course, they can do it,” Colebrook said.
The restriction notwithstanding, Street Beast ran very well over the course in his last out, leading early and around part of the turn before jockey Luan Machado niftily switched off heels to get outside favored Intricate Spirit, a good-looking Saratoga maiden winner. Street Beast wore him down to win by three-quarters of a length, the runner-up more than three lengths clear of third.
Street Beast came strongly to the finish in that 6 1/2-furlong contest, galloped out with good energy, and is out of a mare who excelled in turf routes.
“He switched off in both his races, and the pedigree suggests he can get a mile,” Colebrook said.
Awesome Connection, the rail speed here, was the narrowest of Woodbine turf-sprint maiden winners July 27, after which he was privately purchased by the Dare to Dream Stable and turned over to trainer Chris Davis. While Awesome Connection won by a nose, he galloped out farther in front than that, and the horse just behind him, Dyna, returned to finish third with an 80 Beyer Speed Figure in the $175,000 Catch a Glimpse Stakes.
Swamp King, another digital auction purchase late last month, and J J Grey already have won over one mile, though neither horse particularly impressed.
J J Grey landed a Colonial Downs maiden turf route with a $50,000 claiming option, overcoming a wide draw in post 11 and a relatively demanding journey for a first-time starter. Getting a perfect pressing trip to the half-mile pole, J J Grey suddenly was swarmed by early moving rivals and pushed back to fifth before coming back and winning by two lengths.
J J Grey raced five weeks ago. The horse on the much quicker turnaround, Street Beast, is faster.
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