Starlet Stakes 2014; Seven Savy Fillies Lined Up In The Starlet

Starlet Stakes 2014; Seven Savy Fillies Lined Up In The Starlet: The 2014 Starlet Stakes is a (GI) race for 2 year-old fillies running 1 1/16 miles on the dirt for a stash of $350,000. The race is set for Saturday, December 13, 2014 at Los Alamitos Racecourse.

This race was originally called the Hollywood Starlet Stakes and was run at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California starting in 1974 and was run on the dirt until 2006, when they changed to the synthetic. The Starlet Stakes is the final race of the year for the 2 year-old fillies and is often the next stepping-stone for fillies exiting the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies race. The Starlet Stakes also offers up points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.

In 2003, the filly Hollywood Story, who was a Wild Rush/Wife For Life/Dynaformer baby, was the first-ever maiden to win the race in its history and how befitting of a name. She was trained by John Shirreffs and after starting on August 3, 2003 in a Maiden Special Weight race at Del Mar, finishing 2nd she went on to race in the (G1) Del Mar Debutante Stakes finishing 2nd. It was on her fifth try in this race that she broke her maiden. Hollywood Story ran in 26 (G1-G3) races ending her career with a race record of 27:4:6:6. What a star.

Last weekend we took on Los Alamitos and the Bayakoa Stakes. My top pick Valient Emilia finished 4th after washing up in the paddock prior. She did run a much better race than in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff so hopefully 3rd time off the layoff will be her spot. Tiz Midnight ran a gutsy race, she was my second pick at crap odds. She won by a headbob to the tune of $3.60 over Warren’s Veneda, breaking Legacy’s prior track record at the distance at Los Al. Warren’s Veneda ran a very game race and was heartbreaking for her connections I’m sure for that loss. Legacy Sigi’s top pick ran a great race for third and just didn’t quite have the rally and paid $4.60 to show, so not too shabby.

Sigis pick 3 didn’t hit, but the last race in it did. His top 3 picks in race #8 were #5,10,11 and they came in with #11 Horse Laugh winning at odds of $24.60 and the #5 Door’s Open was second at odds of $5.80. A $1.00 exacta box paid $229.10. Did he bet it? No. Again, beginners lesson to be learned. If its a large, wide-open race and you have a couple of long-shot picks, play an exacta box. The $2.00 exacta box for those 3 horses would have cost $12.00 and paid $458.20. I hope he didn’t lose too much sleep over that one, like I did over the same mistake a few weeks back.

The 2014 Starlet Stakes has a start time of 4:00 pm PST and is the 8th race of the day on a card of 9. We have a number of great looking fillies lined up and I’m in a conundrum trying to pick one winner.

Kari’s Picks: Race #8 4,6,7 (3)* Danette in case of a scratch is my alternate pick
Indian Charlie has a nice daughter with Feathered who chalks up her gate-to-wire maiden win as her only one on 8/31. Next out she was 3rd in the (GI) Frizette Stakes losing to By The Moon and beating Condo Commando who recently won the (GII) Demoiselle Stakes. Her only off the board placing was in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Race where she was one game filly exiting the #1 hole coming in to bump Angela Renee at the break, still managing to finish up 4th by a length. She has been very good in all four of her races and can rate, so we’ll see if the jockey switch-up to Mike Smith can do the trick. She enters with a race record of 4:1:1:1 and I like her chances here a lot and Pletcher wouldn’t be sending her if he weren’t confident.

The Giant’s Causeway daughter Take Charge Brandi should go off as the favorite in this race and well deserving. I drank the kool-aid after her first win on June 22nd and following that up with a 2nd place finish in the (GII) Schuyerville Stakes. She finished off-the-board in her next 3 races and I didn’t back her as the longest shot in the field in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filies going gate-to-wire at a huge price of $61.70. That was gutting and I chalked it up to the track bias. Next out in the (GI) Delta Downs Princess Stakes she took over the lead and never looked back, proving the doubters wrong in that race. She has been traveling quite a bit with a short time-off and could easily wire this field, but could also easily flop. It won’t be an easy task for her and her odds will make her unplayable for me. However, I wish the best of look to her, D. Wayne Lukas* and Willis Horton though to clinch the 2014 Eclipse award for Juvenile Fillies.

Bob Baffert enters Lookin At Luckys daughter Maybellene who is out of Greathearted, a Giant’s Causeway mare. Her last two races were small fields and last out she was a game second to Achiever’s Legacy, who she dueled with and lost by a 1/4 in the Desi Arnaz Stakes going 7 f. I like that Baffert is stretching her back out again, and I like her pedigree to handle the longer distances. She’s fast early but can stalk and I like that she’s outside Take Charge Brandi and can sit right behind her if she wants. Gets Bejarano up and has better odds than the other two I like. Maybe it’s Maybellene?

*The former Hall of Fame Quarter Horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas has won this race a record 7 times so look out.

Kari’s Play: From a wagering standpoint this race blows. So I’m going to play a pick3 starting race #7: 3,6,8/4,7/3,4,9. I’ll also play an exacta box race #9 3,4,9.

Sigi’s Picks: Race#8: 6,4,3
Take Charge Brandi looks like another lady since the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile (G1) and now she’s trying to continue the winning streak in the Starlet G1 at Los Alamitos. This time she’s facing some speedy horses, so let’s see what she is made of. Take Charge Brandi surely will be the heavy favorite, but in Los Alamitos track anything could happen. Feathered deserves another shot, because in the BC Juvenile she ran a monster race despite some troubles. Mike Smith is in the saddle, so he will try to relax a bit this girl plus I think the distance is not a concern. Danette is still a maiden, but she ran a great race in the Juvenile. In my opinion she will benefit by a fast pace and looks like the longshot of the race.

Sigi’s Play:
Pick 3:
7)3,8
8)6,4,3
9) 3,4,6
Exacta Box in race#9: 3,4,6

2014 Starlet Stakes Post Positions & Odds:

• 1 Achiever’s Legacy 5/1 D.V.Dyke/J.Hollendorfer
• 2 Don’t Blame Me 12/1 T.Baze/K.Mulhall
• 3 Danette 10/1 K.Desormeaux/J.Desormeaux
• 4 Feathered 2/1 M.Smith/T.Pletcher
• 5 Majestic Presence 8/1 G.Stevens/J.Hollendorfer
• 6 Take Charge Brandi 9/5 V.Espinoza/D.Lukas
• 7 Maybellene 5/1 R.Bejarano/B.Baffert