THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY DIARY
AUGUST 24, 2005
by Hunter T. Houlihan
The safest bet out there, if you can find someone to book it, is that a
three-year-old filly whose name begins with an “S” will win championship honors
this year. In Sunday’s
$750,000 Alabama S. (G1), SWEET SYMPHONY (A.P. Indy) added her name to a growing
list of candidates that includes the now-retired Sweet Catomine, multiple Grade 1 queen and
reigning divisional leader SMUGGLER (Unbridled), and graded winners SUMMERLY
(Summer Squall), SPLENDID BLENDED (Unbridled’s Song), SPUN SUGAR (Awesome Again), SIS CITY (Slew City Slew)
and SEEK A STAR (Mutakddim).
Conditioned by Bill Mott, Sweet Symphony is now undefeated from four career
starts after annexing her initial stakes foray in stalk-and-pounce fashion. The
dark bay miss was much the best at 10 furlongs on Saturday, drawing away from
fellow closer Spun Sugar in the final eighth to be clear by 6 1/4 lengths at the
wire. Her only problem lies in the fact that the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) is
contested over 1 1/8 miles and many of her sophomore rivals, as well as leading
Distaff divisional leader ASHADO (Saint Ballado), can easily handle the distance.
Still, take nothing away from the filly as she defeated a stellar field and thus
moved into contention for divisional leadership with her impressive win.
Grade 3 winners CULINARY (El Amante) and TOLL TAKER (Bernstein) were each denied a
second graded win on August 14 when FLYING GLITTER (Glitterman) wired the
Monmouth Breeders’ Cup Oaks (G3). Under Elvis Trujillo, the Heavenly Cause S.
winner made it three in a row when she crossed the line a 6 1/4-length victress,
although she did have it her own way on the front end. Trained by Ronny Werner,
Flying Glitter now shows a line of 9-4-1-2 with $243,051 in earnings and could
be any kind, although it is always nice to see a filly win going away the first
time they stretch out to 1 1/16 miles.
MISS MATCHED (Formal Gold) got back to her winning ways last Saturday when
taking the Arlington Breeders’ Cup Oaks by a length. The dark bay sat right off
the lead before giving regular rider Shaun Bridgmohan her best in the stretch
run, accelerating through the lane to stop the clock in a respectable 1:49 1/5
for nine furlongs. The Dogwood Breeders’ Cup S. (G3) heroine suffered her first
loss of 2005 two back in the Sweetest Chant S. and it was encouraging to see the
John Ward trainee back in the winner’s circle.
Sweet Symphony is being pointed toward the September 9 Gazelle H. (G1) at
Belmont Park, the site of the 2005 Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred
Championships. She could run into Smuggler if the Shug McGaughey charge has
recovered from the fever she spiked that kept her out of the Alabama, and both
the top three-year-old filly and leading contender for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff
could come out of that race.