3yo Fillies Diary

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY DIARY

APRIL 6, 2005

by Hunter T. Houlihan

Every spring and fall, for a total of six weeks out of the year, the racing
world celebrates a beautiful getaway in Lexington, Kentucky, at Keeneland Racecourse.
The opening-weekend feature, Saturday’s $500,000 Ashland S. (G1), has attracted
a stellar field of the remaining top three-year-old fillies in the country as divisional leader SWEET CATOMINE (Storm Cat)
is set to take on the boys the same
day in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1).

Led by SIS CITY (Slew City Slew), the Ashland field contains nearly every top
sophomore lass in the land in what will likely be their last prep
before the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (G1). A 16-length winner in her only start of
2005, the February 5 Davona Dale S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park, Sis City brings a
record of 8-4-0-2 into the 1 1/16-mile Ashland. She is a winner at 8 1/2 furlongs,
and perhaps more importantly, she is a winner at the nine-furlong Oaks distance.
The bay has been training forwardly for conditioner Richard Dutrow, getting a
bullet half-mile in :47 2/5 Tuesday morning over a fast Keeneland strip.

SHARP LISA (Dixieland Band) is also undefeated this year, notching victories
in the Las Virgenes S. (G1) and Santa Ynez S. (G2). Those two contests were run
at one mile and seven furlongs, respectively, but the chestnut should enjoy
stretching back out to 1 1/16 miles, a distance at which she finished a close
second in both the Hollywood Starlet S. (G1) and the Alcibiades S. (G2).

In addition, the Ashland is expected to include SUMMERLY (Summer Squall),
recent winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2); RUNWAY MODEL (Petionville), a
multiple Grade 2 winner and third when making her seasonal bow in the Fair Grounds
Oaks; LETGOMYECHO (Menifee), who is undefeated from three career starts, including the
seven-furlong Forward Gal S. (G2); and MEMORETTE (Memo [Chi]), who came home
second behind Sweet Catomine in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and Sharp Lisa in the
Las Virgenes.

The $250,000 Fantasy S. (G2) will be held on April 15 at Oaklawn Park. As
mentioned in the under the radar section last time, CAPE HOPE (Cape Town) is one
of the best grass fillies in the United States. She will be switched to the dirt
in the Fantasy and we like the Dallas Stewart trainee’s chances. Winner of the Herecomesthebride
S. (G3) most recently, Cape Hope will put her unblemished 2005 record on the
line in this 1 1/16-mile contest.

Others expected to run in the Fantasy include multiple stakes winner THE
BETER MAN CAN (Lord Avie); SHE SINGS (Petionville), third in the Santa Anita
Oaks; and RUGULA (Bernstein), who has not missed the board in four career
starts. Also considered likely is JILL ROBIN L (Precocity), a surprise winner
of the nine-furlong Bonnie Miss S. (G2) at Gulfsream Park on March 5.