Familiar Rivals Will Vie For Bayakoa Stakes

Most of the entrants in the field of 10 for the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes (gr. III) Feb. 15 at Oaklawn Park are familiar with each other.



Just less than a month ago, seven of the 10 older fillies and mares were in the listed Pippin Stakes, which spanned the same 1 1/16-mile distance at the Arkansas track.



Pointing for her first graded score is Pippin winner Mufajaah, who closed from eighth place to win by three lengths at 5-1 odds Jan. 17. The 4-year-old Tapit   filly was bred in Kentucky by William and Suzanne Warren, and is owned by Shadwell Stable. Trained by Daniel Peitz, she'll break from post 5 and carry 117 pounds including Emmanuel Esquivel, who was also aboard in the Pippin win.



Haunted Heroine (post 2), Pearl Turn (post 8), and Call Pat (post 4)—who finished in order behind Mufajaah in the Pippin—will all return to take another crack at Mufajaah, who is out of the Forestry mare Carolyn's Cat. Courageous Julie, Diva's Diamond and Lady Haddassah—who finished seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively, in the Pippin—will also run again in the Bayakoa.



Multiple stakes winner Diva's Diamond will carry 119 pounds, along with Gold Medal Dancer and Flashy American. First-time stakes starter Bella Veloce, coming off an allowance/optional claiming win last time out at 1 1/16 miles, will break from the 7 post carrying 117 pounds under jockey Ramon Vazquez.



Flashy American has the most class in the group as the only graded stakes winner. The 6-year-old Flashy Bull   mare bred in Kentucky by H & W Thoroughbreds won the Sixty Sails Handicap (gr. III) at Hawthorne Race Course April 19. Owned by Preston Stables and trained by Ken McPeek, Flashy American also has seven top-four finishes in graded stakes during her career, including seconds in the Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. II) at Churchill Downs June 14 and the Shuvee Handicap (gr. III) in 2013.



Out of the Quiet American mare Inn Between, Flashy American leads the field with $663,183 in career earnings and will break from the outside post with jockey Chris Landeros.



Another contender outside the Pippin group will be Pin Oak Stable's Gold Medal Dancer, trained by Donnie Von Hemel. The 5-year-old Medaglia d'Oro   mare will be in post 6 and should be part of a large closing group. Her only stakes win came in the Minnesota H.B.P.A. Distaff at Canterbury Park June 7.

Florida-bred Lady Haddassah has the most wins in the group with 10, but has yet to claim a stakes. Sired by Whywhywhy, bred by Zayat Stables, and owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Lady Haddassah had trouble exiting the gate in the Pippin and will break from post 3 in the Bayakoa.