It is the second weekend of the Alameda County Fair Horse Racing meeting and it’s time for the second stakes race of the meet with the running of the $50,000 She’s A Tiger.
The race is contested at 1-1/16-miles and is for Fillies and Mares 3-years-old and up. The race is the eighth on the nice-race card and is set for a 5:15 p.m. post.
Named for the American Champion 2-year-old She’s A Tiger made her debut for Pleasanton trainer Jeff Bonde, at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, going off at 1/5, she didn’t disappoint, crossing the finish nine lengths in front.
From there she went to Southern California, winning the Landaluce and the Del Mar Debutante, getting her a spot in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Running an amazing race, She’s A Tiger had the lead in the lane before getting challenged by Rio Antonia. She’s A Tiger came out a bit and fought off the challenge to cross the line first.
Then, in of the more controversial decisions, she was disqualified for causing interference and placed second. To this day it is one of the worst decisions I have seen.
Here are the horses entered Saturday in post-position order.
Liberal Lady (Leonard Powell, Assael Espinoza) is the lone Southern California shipper. She has one win in three starts this year and that came back in February in her first race of the year. Following that front running win she jumped up to the Grade II Santa Maria at Santa Anita where was eased and finished 41 lengths off the winner. After a 5-week break she came back on the turf at Santa Anita in an optional claimer and was fifth, beaten five lengths on June 9. Does like to be on or near the lead.
Delusively (Jose Bautista, Catalino Martinez) has been at Turf Paradise in Arizona for the last three races under the care of trainer Robert Baze, shipping down from Golden Gate Fields. She was third two back in a stake, flattening out in the lane. Next up was a $25,000 optional claimer where she gave way and finished fifth. Now back in the Jose Bautista barn where she thrived on the artificial track at GGF, this spot seems a tad ambitious. Runs from off the pace.
Ascendancy (O J Jauregui, Alexander Chavez) is the defending champion of this race where she drew away in the lane and won by over three-lengths. She has seen nothing but stakes races since leaving Pleasanton last summer. She won the Luther Burbank last August in Santa Rosa on the turf where she continued to run. Was third in Grade III Wilshire at Santa Anita, sixth in the Grade II Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard, then fifth in a Grade III Gallorette at Pimlico on the Preakness undercard. Now comes back to the dirt at Pleasanton to defend her title. She has two blistering works over the track in the last two weeks. Should be the one to beat. Like to close and was 12-back at one point in this race last year.
Princesa Del Tigre (Tim McCanna, Luis Manuel Jimenez Abruto) has hit the board in all four starts this year, with two wins and two seconds. This will be the first stakes start for the horse, but she has had two dirt starts. She was third here last year in an optional claimer. The last two starts have been seconds in $62,000 optional claimers. Looks to be part of the pace factor here.
Bold Daughter (Roger Hansen, Alejandro Gomez) has lone stakes start, finishing seventh in the Miss America at Golden Gate in December. Recently has been running in optional claimers at Golden Gate, with the last being a fourth on the turf May 18. I think this moment will be too big for the horse.
My play: This race starts and ends with the defending champ – Ascendancy. The horse obviously as evidence be the win last year, then the two bullet works over the track has been running in stakes races across the country. The rail horse is the lone runner with anywhere near as big of a stake race on her resume. Will be a major upset if Ascendancy gets beat.