BLIND DATE HEADLINES SATURDAY’S JAMEELA STAKES
LAUREL, MD. 08-12-10---Horseplayers are certain to get a fair price if they pass on the favorite in Saturday’s Jameela Stakes, as eleven evenly matched fillies and mares are set to go six furlongs on the turf at Laurel Park.
The program favorite is Blind Date (2-1), a three time stakes winner on the grass trained by Hamilton Smith and ridden by Luis Garcia. She has drilled six times since her last start in June and three of those were bullet workouts. The daughter of Not For Love will start as part of an entry with Sales Tax.
“I like everything about her,” Smith said. “She is a good work horse and does things pretty easy. She is a very versatile filly who can go long or short and on either surface. So if the race should happen to come off the turf, it wouldn’t bother her.”
Her entry mate has finished in the money 10 times in 19 career starts with three turf victories. The daughter of High Yield will be ridden by Sheldon Russell.
“Sales Tax is better than she looks on paper,” added Smith. “She can run a little bit and I wouldn’t be surprised if she beats Blind Date. She has enough ability to do so if things go her way. She has had some bad luck. It seems like every time we get her into a race it rains and we have to scratch and wait for another race, which interrupts the training procedure.”
After the favorite, the field is wide open.
Onearmedbandit (4-1) started her career with four straight wins, including the Miss Shenandoah at Charles Town, but has not been back to the winners’ circle since, despite four runner-up finishes in her next seven starts. Trainer Jerry Robb will give Oliver Castillo another chance with his sprinting filly.
Colony Club (9-2) has been first or second in her last five starts but will face stakes company for the first time. Apprentice Forest Boyce rides the Lion Hearted filly for trainer Alexandra White.
If Not For Lust (5-1) has seven on the board finishes in 11 starts this year, including a closing third in the Jenny Wade Stakes at Penn National on July 30. Travis Dunkelberger tries his hand aboard the Not For Love filly for the first time for trainer Ernest Twisdale.
Kosmo’s Buddy (8-1) won a pair of stakes as a three-year-old in 2008, including a victory over the boys in the Maryland Million Turf Sprint. But since, the daughter of Outflanker is winless in 17 starts. Eric Camacho has the riding assignment for trainer Tim Salzman.
What Time It Is (10-1), Yankee Sweetheart (12-1), Jazema’s Ginger (30-1) and the Richard Small trained duo of Fascinatin’ Rhythm and Ravenous (15-1) round out the field.
If the race comes off the turf, the biggest challenger to Blind Date will be seven-time stakes winner All Giving, who is currently on the also eligible list. The six-year-old mare has won seven of 17 starts at Laurel, with 13 in the money finishes, including three added money scores. The Flint Stites trainee won the Primonetta Stakes here in early April.
Five Diamonds and Heaven’s Voice are also on the also eligible list and figure to draw into the race if it comes off the turf.
–mjc-
Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club
410-578-4461 (Pimlico)
301-470-5461 (Laurel Park)
240-876-7403 (Mobile)
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