Summerplace Farm’s 5-year-old mare Heavenly Landing is hitting her best
stride after winning allowance races at Keeneland and Churchill Downs
in the fall and posting a 19-to-1 upset with a nose victory last out in
the Marshua’s River Stakes (G3) over the Gulfstream Park turf course on
Jan. 7.
Trained by Eddie Kenneally, Heavenly Landing will be a lot shorter
price when she comes back in the $150,000 Suwannee River Stakes (G3)
going 1 1/8 miles on turf Saturday in a field of 12 fillies and mares
with regular jockey Corey Lanerie flying in from New Orleans for the
mount.
A daughter of Pulpit, Heavenly Landing is now perfect in three
starts on grass after showing some promise earlier in her career on the
main track.
“She’s doing really well.” Kenneally said. “Her last race was her best.
She’s an improving filly and three-for-three on the grass.”
Heavenly Landing faces several highly-accomplished turf stakes
veterans in the race including Ghislaine Head’s 6-year-old Denomination
with Joe Bravo in the saddle for trainer Christophe Clement and Barbara
Hunter’s 5-year-old Snow Top Mountain for trainer Tom Proctor and jockey
Jose Lezcano.
Denomination will be a formidable contender on her best form,
although she was somewhat of a disappointment last out finishing a
close-up fourth as the odds-n favorite in the My Charmer Handicap (G3)
at Calder on Nov. 24, although beaten less than a length for it all. The
daughter of Smart Strike won the Violet Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park
and Athenia Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park in her two previous starts.
Snow Top Mountain ran a big race to finish third in the My Charmer
ahead of Denomination and came back to lose a neck decision as the
favorite in an allowance race at Tampa Downs on Jan. 9. The roan/gray
homebred by Najran is very consistent with a 19-5-7-2 record, including a
victory in the Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf at Kentucky Downs in September.
Completing the field for the Suwannee River are Two Bucks to Show
LLC’s Cumulonimble, Tenreri Farms’ Thundering Emilia, Donald Adam’s Gold
d’Oro, Stuart Janney III’s Hit It Rich, Trick or Treat International’s
Here to Win, Farnsworth Stable’s Speak Easy Gal and James Lauffer and
Poplar Hill Equine’s Persuading.
Farnsworth Stable’s Dash Dot Dash and Peter Fuller’s Trip for A.J. are entered to run ‘main track only’ in the Suwannee River.