Bridesmaid Skipalute to Bid for Forward Gal

Skipalute may still be a maiden, but in her last start she finished second to a champion and could be the one to beat in the $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes (gr. II) Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park.

 

Despite going winless in five starts to date, Skipalute, a Virginia-bred daughter of Midnight Lute  , will take plenty of support at the windows after finishing second behind Eclipse Award winning 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi in the Delta Downs Princess Stakes (gr. III) Nov. 22 in her most recent start.

 

In fact, Skipalute has finished second in four of her five career starts, including her runner-up finish in the Matron Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont Park Oct. 5.

 

In a six-furlong maiden special weight race at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 22, Skipalute suffered a brutal beat when caught on the wire, defeated just a nose after setting the pace the entire way until the final stride.

 

"She was a little bit unlucky when she was second in a really good maiden race at Saratoga," trainer Eddie Kenneally said. "She was beaten just an inch at the wire--just got nailed at the wire. We opted at that point to run her in a graded race after that versus a maiden race, and it worked out. She was second, and that was a whole lot more valuable to her as a potential broodmare and everything else down the road, being second in that grade II race, the Matron at Belmont Park.

 

"Shortly after that, we ran her in the Delta Princess at Delta Downs, and she was second to champion Take Charge Brandi. So her form is really good. She hasn't won a race yet, but she has quite a bit on her resume."

 

Skipalute will have her work cut out for her, breaking from the outside post in the 11-horse field going seven furlongs under Eclipse Award-winning jockey Javier Castellano.

 

Todd Pletcher, who just won his seventh Eclipse for outstanding trainer, has saddled the winner of the Forward Gal in the last three years with Broadway's Alibi (2012), Kauai Katie (2013) and Onlyforyou (2014).

 

On Saturday, he will shoot for his fourth in a row with Enchantress, a Kentucky-bred daughter by Malibu Moon  , who has won two of three career starts.

 

Enchantress broke her maiden in her debut at Keeneland on Oct. 4, before disappointing as the odds-on favorite when fifth in the Tempted Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 2.

 

She then rebounded in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 13 scoring by five lengths.

 

"We were very pleased with [her last race]," Pletcher said. "Her first race was good. She kind of didn't fire in her second start, but the allowance race put her back on track, and we're looking forward to [this race].

Enchantress will break from post six under jockey John Velazquez.

 

Lassofthemohicans enters the Forward Gal off of an impressive five-length maiden romp at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 28 and should be a factor in a strong field.

 

"We were on the fence as to whether we'd go in [the Forward Gal] or not, but that kind of made me more positive that we should take a shot," trainer Brendan Walsh said. "It looks like it's going to come up a pretty tough race, but she handled the track there pretty good, so, why not?"

 

Lassofthemohicans is a daughter of Indian Charlie and will be ridden by Edgar Prado from post eight.