Putting a three-race win streak on the line,
Quantum Miss takes on five other 3-year-old filly sprinters all hoping to
create some fireworks in Monday’s 64th running of the Grade 1,
$250,000 Prioress, the Independence Day feature at Belmont Park.
Trained by Anthony Dutrow, the Smoke Glacken filly launched her victory
parade in New York,
taking the Grade 3 Cicada at Aqueduct Racetrack on March 19 by a half-length
over Coax Liberty, followed by a 1 ½-length win in an overnight stakes at Parx
Racing on April 19. Most recently, she was a front-running 12-length winner of
the restricted Wonders Delight at Penn National, zipping the six furlongs in
1:08.63 and earning a 104 Beyer speed figure in the process, the fastest at the
distance of any 3-year-old filly so far this year.
“I can’t see her going into any race better than she went
into her last at Penn National,” said Dutrow, who trains Quantum Miss for
Daniel Ryan. “I’m very happy with the way she is now. There’s
a lot to gain in the Prioress if she’s able to run well. Of course, the
quality of the horses she’ll meet here are better than those at Penn
National.”
Among them is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the six-furlong
Prioress, Roman Treasure, who has won three of her five starts. Fourth behind
Quantum Miss in the Cicada, the Roman Ruler filly returned from a two-month
layoff to win a first-level allowance at Parx on May 15, and a month later
turned in what trainer Mike Hushion called a “brilliant”
front-running effort to win the Miss Royal overnight stakes at Belmont on June
16, covering the six furlongs in 1:08.99.
Ramon Dominguez will ride Roman Treasure, while Jeremy Rose gets the
call on Quantum Miss, who drew post position 4 as the co-second choice at 3-1
on the morning line.
Also at 3-1 is the Bob Baffert-trained Alienation, who was last seen in
New York
finishing second to Position Limit in the Grade 2 Adirondack and second to R
Heat Lightning in the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga Race Course.
The Rock Hard Ten filly closed out her juvenile campaign with a sixth
in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf at Hollywood Park, and in her lone start of 2011 was an
eye-catching 7 ¾-length allowance winner at Hollywood on June 3 for Baffert,
who won the Prioress in 2008 with eventual champion filly sprinter Indian
Blessing and in 2004 with Friendly Michelle.
“She’s doing great,” said Baffert’s New York assistant, Tonja
Terranova, who oversaw Alienation’s 47.18 half-mile work Wednesday
morning. “She’s grown a lot since we’ve seen her last summer.
And Bob never sends horses here if they’re not ready to run.”
John Velazquez will ride the Natalie Baffert color-bearer from post
position 5.
Turning back from a mile is Bobby Flay’s Her Smile, most recently
third to It’s Tricky and Turbulent Descent in the Grade 1 TVG Acorn in
her second start for trainer Todd Pletcher; prior to that, the Include filly
was 11th in the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks on May 6 in her
first start for her new connections.
“She’s doing well,” said assistant trainer Jonathan
Thomas. “We had been taking a look at this spot for her.”
Javier Castellano rides Her Smile, 10-1 on the morning line, from the
rail.
Rounding out the field are Pomeroys Pistol, who took the Grade 2
Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park earlier this year and most recently won an
overnight stakes at Monmouth Park, and Our Year, winner of an optional claimer
at Monmouth Park in her third career start.
The field for the Grade 1, $250,000
Prioress:
|
PP
|
Horse
|
Jockey
|
Wgt
|
Trainer
|
Odds
|
|
1
|
Her Smile (VA)
|
J Castellano
|
116
|
T A Pletcher
|
10-1
|
|
2
|
Roman Treasure (KY)
|
R A Dominguez
|
120
|
M E Hushion
|
5-2
|
|
3
|
Our Year (KY)
|
E Trujillo
|
116
|
T A Hills
|
6-1
|
|
4
|
Quantum Miss (PA)
|
J Rose
|
118
|
A W Dutrow
|
3-1
|
|
5
|
Alienation (KY)
|
J R Velazquez
|
118
|
B Baffert
|
3-1
|
|
6
|
Pomeroys Pistol (FL)
|
C H Velasquez
|
120
|
A Tarrant
|
7-2
|