March 15, 2024
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
Crown Keeper
Tejano Twist has made seven starts since taking last year’s edition of the $250,000 Whitmore at Oaklawn Park. In that time, the 5-year-old gelding has landed in the money all but once. Now, the competitor with a nose for the podium will return to Oaklawn on Saturday with one goal in mind: defending his crown.
The Whitmore holds a special place for the well-travelled Tejano Twist (9-7-4 line through 29 starts). As it stands, the six-furlong affair is the only graded score on the Chris Hartman charge’s resume.
While he’s won four stakes to date, nothing would compare to doubling down on Whitmore wins. Tejano Twist will need to best six other challengers as the 9-5 opening line choice.
We Meet Again
Sticking at Oaklawn, an enticing rematch is set for Saturday’s $200,000 Purple Martin.
Blue Squall can exact revenge on Xtreme Dive just 28 days after the pair went head-to-head in the Dixie Bell Stakes, also at Oaklawn. The latter edged the former by a nose, holding off the former’s valiant effort in the late stages.
The win pushed Xtreme Diva to 4-0-0 through six tries, while Blue Squall’s second pushed her record to 1-3-1 in five.
Entering as the top two choices on the board, Xtreme Diva (2-1) and Blue Squall (5-2) appear destined for another meeting at the finish line.
Count on Me
While Princess Adaleigh’s lifetime win rate of 33 per cent doesn’t exactly jump off the page, when you factor in three second’s and two thirds, the mare’s podium percentage rockets to 88.9 per cent.
In other words, the 5-year-old is always in contention for the top prize. Being the model of consistency that she is, Princess Adaleigh claimed third place in her graded stakes debut last time out. The Phil D’Amato trainee battled at 13-1 to outlast Lady T by three-quarters of a length in last August’s Rancho Bernardo (G3) at Del Mar.
At 8-1, Princess Adaleigh makes for an intriguing play in this upcoming Saturday’s $100,000 Queen Stakes at Turfway Park.
Please Play Again
Multiple graded stakes winner Forbidden Kingdom returns to Santa Anita for a second shot at an elusive San Carlos (G3) title. The accomplished 5-year-old missed out on last March’s running of the $150,000 contest by 1 ½ lengths, falling to 5-2 challenger Spirit of Makena.
After missing out on the money in his first event since the San Carlos (Grade 2 Triple Bend), Forbidden Kingdom rebounded nicely last time out to snag the $200,000 Joe Hernandez (G2T) by a half-length.
The Santa Anita regular faces stiff competition from The Chosen Vron, another multiple graded stakes winner with a 15-1-2 line through 20 starts.
Three’s Company
A trio of 3-year-old fillies with varying experience will square off this Sunday at Santa Anita with a shot at the top prize in the $100,000 Any Limit Stakes on the line.
It all starts with R Harper Rose, the veteran of the bunch and presumptive favorite heading in. While five starts hardly constitutes seasoned status, the Saffie Joseph Jr. protégé has performed admirably to date, going 4-0-1 with a Forward Gal (G3) score on February 3.
Her spry counterparts come in the form of Candy Gray and Amor Fati, two Kentucky-bred’s that dominated in their respective debuts. The former won by nine lengths on September 24 at Gulfstream, and the latter by a margin of 5 ½ lengths on February 11, also at the Florida raceway.
The group will link up for the first time in what should be a tightly contested battle.