Eight 3-year-old fillies, led by morning line favorite Miss Mo Mentum (Uncle Mo), will enter the gate Saturday in search of their first graded stakes victory and 10 points towards the
GI Kentucky Oaks in the GIII Forward Gal S. at Gulfstream Park.
It took Miss Mo Mentum four tries to break her maiden, finally getting to the winner's circle Sept. 23 on the Churchill Downs turf. After finishing last in the GIII Jessamine S. at Keeneland Oct. 11, the dark bay began to find her best stride in an off-the-turf allowance event under the Twin Spires Nov. 16, rallying in hand to score by 3 3/4 lengths. She grabbed her first stakes win last time out when she splashed home with ease, scoring by 8 3/4 lengths over the local main track in the Hut Hut S. Dec. 9.
Heavy expectations were placed on Heavenhasmynikki (Majestic Warrior) as she was originally pointed towards the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies for her debut. She was instead unveiled at Mahoning Valley Oct. 31, where she cruised home an easy 5 1/4-length winner against state-breds. She backed up that performance with a gutsy win at Gulfstream Jan. 15, storming up the rail in the final strides against optional claiming rivals after breaking a step slow.
A pair of debut winners jump straight into graded stakes action here. Violent Times (Violence), for Ralph Nicks, sprinted home to a four-length graduation at Gulfstream Dec. 24, while $670,000 Keeneland September purchase My Miss Lilly (Tapit) scored a 2 1/2-length victory in the slop at Aqueduct Dec. 23 for Mark Hennig.
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