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LADIES' CLASSIC DIARY NOVEMBER 4, 2009 With Zenyatta's (Street Cry [Ire]) connections opting to send their champion for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), the Ladies' Classic one day prior could prove to be a contentious affair. There are a number of distaffers in with a chance, but the following three are my top choices for the 1 1/8-mile event. These three runners have impressed me all year, and I believe any one of them could come out on top.
Music Note was given time to recover from that effort, and came back in the August 29 Ballerina S. (G1) sprinting seven furlongs over a sloppy track at Saratoga. That's when the real Music Note appeared. The bay broke from the innermost rail post and settled well along the rail, allowing Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie) and Informed Decision (Monarchos) to go up and battle it out through the opening quarter. It wasn't long, though, before the four-year-old pulled her way to the front and engaged Indian Blessing on the front end as Informed Decision began backing up. Music Note easily subdued her rival in the stretch and drew off under a hand ride to be 5 1/4 lengths clear on the line. She returned to a route of ground in her next race, the October 3 Beldame S. (G1) back at Belmont Park. Once again breaking from the inside, Music Note relaxed on the rail as Unbridled Belle (Broken Vow) took command on the backstretch. She angled out slightly and closed on the longtime leader entering the turn, easily running down her larger rival in midstretch. Jockey Rajiv Maragh never touched Music Note with the whip in the lane, as she effortlessly pulled away to be 2 1/4 lengths the best. Music Note earned a 104 BRIS Speed rating for her Beldame score and a 108 number for her Ballerina. Despite a rocky start to the season, the bay miss quickly rounded back into form and appears to be peaking at just the right time. Maragh, aboard for her last two wins, will be back in the irons aboard the Godolphin star. 2nd -- LETHAL HEAT (Unusual Heat) hasn't won since taking the Real Good Deal S. at Del Mar in August of 2008, but that shouldn't be considered a negative against this hard-knocking filly. Victorious in six of her nine starts last year, the bay has been facing nothing but the best. The Barry Abrams charge made her four-year-old bow a third in the January 3 Monrovia H. (G3) over Santa Anita's turf and wasn't seen again until running fourth in an allowance/optional claimer on Del Mar's Polytrack in late July. She hasn't finished worse than third since. Lethal Heat hooked up with Zenyatta in the Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1), and was just three parts of a length back of the undefeated champion when third on the wire. She then moved over to Del Mar's turf to face the boys, and acquitted herself well when third in the Del Mar Mile (G2). She was in front heading into the first turn, but then settled back into third while racing in the three path. Lethal Heat went after the front runners heading into the final turn and gained a brief advantage, but couldn't hold off the late rush of Ferneley (Ire) (Ishiguru), who would go on to finish second in the Woodbine Mile (Can-G1) next out. Facing her own gender once again in the grassy Palomar H. (G2), Lethal Heat just missed by a neck on the wire after leading throughout. She once again faced the boys in her next start, this time competing on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride in the California Cup Classic. She ran in second for much of that nine-furlong test and easily held that position on the wire by 6 1/4 lengths. Lethal Heat ran into Zenyatta in her last start, the Lady's Secret S. (G1), which serves as the final major local prep for the Ladies' Classic. The bay lass was second at 18-1, and could offer similar value on Friday. Jockey Alex Solis has been aboard for Lethal Heat's past four starts, and will take up the reins once again while going for his fourth Breeders' Cup victory. 3rd -- CARELESS JEWEL (Tapit) is Zenyatta's heir apparent. The three-year-old lass is small but tough, recording just one loss from six career starts this season. That loss came in her initial start for trainer Josie Carroll, but the gray dynamo has proved to be a gold mine since. Careless Jewel broke her maiden on Woodbine's Polytrack in early May and easily passed through her first allowance condition, scoring by 7 1/4 front-running lengths while still competing on the Polytrack up north. The sophomore miss was then transported to American soil, but the travel and change to a dirt surface weren't enough to faze her. She dominated the Delaware Oaks (G2) on July 18, leading from start to finish while once again recording a 7 1/4-length margin on the wire. Carroll rightly believed her charge deserved a shot at the top level and entered her in the 10-furlong Alabama at Saratoga. Careless Jewel romped home by 11 lengths, but gained some valuable experience. The gray miss was eager going into the first turn and nearly ran up on the hooves of Be Fair (Exchange Rate), forcing jockey Robert Landry to take her up sharply and angle her to the outside. She settled down after that, running to the outside of Be Fair before taking over leaving the backstretch. The gray filly prepped for her run at Breeders' Cup glory with another easy triumph, this time in the Cotillion S. (G2) on October 3. Some may be wary of Careless Jewel due to her inexperience on the Pro-Ride, but they shouldn't be. Carroll shipped her charge south early, and Careless Jewel has already posted a bullet workout over the Pro-Ride, proving that the new surface is not a detriment to her unquestionable ability. I see a lot of a three-year-old Music Note in Careless Jewel, which is why I'm not picking her on top. She may have the talent and will to win, but facing older runners for the first time with the madness of Breeders' Cup going on around her may be too much for the filly. She should still run lights out in this race, and I'm eager to see how she handles Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) next season. But for now, I believe a top-three finish in the Ladies' Classic is not a bad thing to have on one's racing resume. Fellow Canadian-based Landry has piloted Careless Jewel in all of her wins, and will be seeking to give both Carroll and himself a first Breeders' Cup score with this filly. Longshot -- PROVISO (GB) (Dansili [GB]) is an interesting prospect who may be lost in the shuffle. The Bobby Frankel charge made her U.S. debut at Keeneland on October 11, capturing the Spinster S. (G1) by 1 1/4 lengths but was immediately disqualified and placed second for interfering with MUSHKA (Empire Maker). Proviso got the jump on Mushka in the 1 1/8-mile event, going three wide around the turn and splitting horses to hit the front. Mushka wasn't far behind, running down the center of the track, when Proviso veered toward the grandstand. Kent Desormeaux did a fine bit of acting in that moment, taking up sharply on Mushka, much more so than the situation warranted in my opinion. The stewards fell for it, though, disqualifying Proviso and awarding runner-up Mushka the victory. A dual Group 3 winner in France before shipping stateside, Proviso decisively proved capable of handling a synthetic track, at least of the Polytrack variety. That experience can only enhance her chances, and the four-year-old's odds may be higher than her ability warrants.
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