“TDN Rising Star” Ami's Mesa (Sky Mesa) looks to keep her unbeaten record intact while switching to grass in Gulfstream's GIII Sweetest Chant S. Saturday afternoon. A decisive eight-length winner of her career bow on the Woodbine synthetic, the Ivan Dalos colorbearer followed suit with another good-looking win in that venue's Glorious Song S. Nov. 21.
Another sophomore hoping to remain perfect here is Lael Stables's Hidden Treat (Lemon Drop Kid). Trained by Arnaud Delacour, the bay opened her account with a victory over the Laurel lawn Oct. 23 and captured Tampa's Sandpiper S. on the main track last time Dec. 19.
“I always thought she was a nice filly,” Delacour said. “She has shown some potential. We tried her on the turf because I thought she was turf all along, and she won first time out. She did what we asked her to do, so that was great. I tried her on the dirt because she was breezing well and I didn't think the stake last month at Tampa came up too tough. I wanted to give her a shot and she won it.”
Chad Brown has saddled the last four winners of this event and Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Pricedtoperfection (Temple City) will try to become number five. Earning her diploma at second asking at Belmont Oct. 17, the bay finished ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland just two weeks later. She was last seen finishing a close second behind the undefeated Lira (Giant's Causeway) in this venue's Ginger Brew S. Jan. 2.
Also exiting the Ginger Brew is Juddmonte Farms' Module (Harlan's Holiday), who closed well to be third by just a half-length in that test. Prior to that effort, the Bill Mott pupil broke her maiden at third asking in a sloppy off-the-turfer at Aqueduct Nov. 11. She will be joined in the starting gate by stablemate Gliding By (Artie Schiller), who graduated on debut for Josie Carroll and breeder Greenwood Lodge Farm at Woodbine Sept. 25 and was subsequently bought into by Adam Wachtel and Brous Stable and transferred to Mott. A non-factor 12th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, the dark bay was third last time in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer over this strip Jan. 10.
The runner-up from that test Conquest Bebop (Scat Daddy), romped by 7 1/4 lengths when unveiled over the Woodbine synthetic Nov. 7 before missing by just a head in that turf debut.
“I thought her race when she broke her maiden was really impressive, and if you look back she beat another filly of ours called Luckbe Tanya who came back and beat colts,” trainer Mark Casse commented. “It was a good race. I thought her race the other day was really good, where she got beat a head. The turf was very, very soft and she had a pretty wide trip. I thought she ran really well. We think she's a good horse and we think she's not just a good horse on the grass. She actually trains pretty good on the dirt, as well.”
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