Sam’s Sister Heads East to Continue Streak in Barbara Fritchie
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Sam's Sister, pictured winning the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita Park, ships east to continue her two-race winning streak this weekend. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
The Grade 2, $300,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel Park begins to set the stage for the competition throughout the year in the filly and mare sprint division, culminating this fall in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland. Although there are many months to go until the top horse in the division is crowned, the Barbara Fritchie field consists of a number of horses with that goal in mind, including three newly turned 4-year-olds, two of which are top contenders in this race.
Sam's Sister ships in from California off a pair of wins at this seven furlong distance, most recently in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes. Princess Violet missed by a nose in the Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap in New York. These two set the stage for a very exciting race. The contention doesn't stop there as locally based contender Lady Sabelia has won three straight at Laurel, two of them stakes. Best Behavior won the Glass Slipper Stakes in December and has now been first or second in her last five races and deserves consideration, as does Toasting, winner of the Sky Beauty Stakes last summer.
Sam's Sister deserves top billing as the only horse in the field to have won a graded stakes race. Two races back, in December, Sam's Sister won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at 12.50-to-1, then proved that victory to be no fluke by returning 24 days later to win the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes. Although earning 94 and 93 Equibase Speed Figures, respectively, which are lower than others in the field, Sam's Sister is a newly turned 4-year-old likely to improve. Undefeated on the main track in five races and with her regular jockey, Elvis Trujillo, in the saddle, Sam's Sister looks very tough to beat.
Princess Violet ran a career-best race when last seen at the end of November, missing by a nose in the Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap in at Aqueduct in New York. Running eight paths wide on the far turn before rallying for second, Princess Violet lost more ground during the race than her margin of defeat. Further, the 105 speed figure earned is one we can expect to be improved upon in her first start as a 4-year-old so she should be right there at the finish once more.
LADY SABELIA
Photo by Bill Denver/Equiphoto
Lady Sabelia is a horse that loves to win races, with seven victories in 13 tries. She has won three in a row at Laurel, the last two in non-graded stakes with 102 and 101 speed figures. Lady Sabelia, like Sam's Sister, is undefeated at the seven furlong distance of the Barbara Fritchie. With the ability to lead from the start or come from just behind the pacesetters, Lady Sabelia rounds out a tough trio of contenders who could come together at the wire in this race.
The rest of the Barbara Fritchie, with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures, is Before You Know It (111), Best Behavior (105), Disco Barbie (107), Expression (101), Flattering Bea (95), Miss Mischief (96), Toasting (103) and Stormy Novel (104).
My Selections:
Sam's Sister
Princess Violet
Lady Sabelia
Grade 2, $300,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap
Race 8 at Laurel Park on Saturday, Post Time 3:57 p.m. ET
6 furlongs on the dirt for 3-year-old and older fillies and mares
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
1
Princess Violet
Jose Ortiz
115
Mike Hushion
2
Expression
Wilmer Garcia
115
Charlton Baker
3
Miss Mischief
Victor Carrasco
114
Dale Capuano
4
Toasting
Sheldon Russell
114
Tom Albertrani
5
Best Behavior
Edgard Zayas
116
Marty Wolfson
6
Flattering Bea
Xavier Perez
113
Crystal Pickett
7
Before You Know It
Roimes Chirinos
113
Claudio Gonzalez
8
Stormy Novel
Kendrick Carmouche
114
John Servis
9
Lady Sabelia
Horacio Karamanos
116
Robin Graham
10
Sam's Sister
Elvis Trujillo
123
Jerry Hollendorfer
11
Disco Barbie
Victor Carrasco
112
Dale Capuano