Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) will get back to action today under her new connections in the
GI Madison S. Successful as a juvenile, with wins in the GIII Tempted S. and GII Demoisel at Aqueduct that fall for Repole Stable, she really started rolling last May with a string of victories that included the GII Black Eyed Susan S. May 16, GI Coaching Club American Oaks July 20 and the GI Alabama S. Aug. 16. She wrapped up her campaign with a second in the GI Beldame Invitational at Belmont Sept. 27 before heading through the Fasig-Tipton November sales ring where she RNA'd for $3.15 million. She was privately purchased by Town and Country Farm and remains in the Todd Pletcher barn.
“She has trained well in Florida,” Pletcher's assistant Dermott Magnier said. “This is a nice race to start her off. It should suit her.
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Sam's Sister (Brother Derek) enters this one off her only career loss when fourth shipping East for the first time in the GII Barbara Fritchie H. at Laurel Feb. 14. The GI La Brea S. and GII Santa Monica S. winner will get the help of Hall of Fame pilot Gary Stevens today. The Barbara Fritchie first and second-place finishers Lady Sabelia (Majestic Warrior) and Princess Violet (Officer) will also contest the Madison. The former enters off a four-race winning streak, which includes Laurel's sloppy Willa on the Move S. Dec. 6 and muddy What a Summer S. Jan. 3.
“She stepped up to win a Grade II and now we will see if she can step up again and get a Grade I,” said trainer Robin Graham. “We were looking at some races around Preakness Week, but that's a couple of months off, so we thought we would come here and see what she could do and then maybe come back in the fall [for the Breeders' Cup World Championships].”
Barry Schwartz homebred Princess Violet took the Empire Distaff H. against state-bred competition in Oct. 18 before completing the exacta in the GII Go for Want H. Nov. 28 at Aqueduct and in the Barbara Fritchie. She makes her first start since transferring to the Linda Rice stable today.
Wedding Toast (Street Sense) capped her 2013 season with a win in the Big A's GIII Comely S. and was second in her only start of 2014 in the Cat Cay S. there in April. She returned to the races this year with a win in the Miami Shores S. at Gulfstream Jan. 7, but disappointed when third as the prohibitive favorite in the GIII Rampart S. there Feb. 21.
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