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.