Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Contact: Jenny Kellner
WELL KEPT NARROW FAVORITE IN DEARLY PRECIOUS
Favored at 9-5 in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, which will be contested as race 4 on the 10-race card, is Well Kept, most recently second to the undefeated Agave Kiss in the Big A's Ruthless on January 14.
"She came out of that last race very well after running up against a really nice, tough filly," said trainer Leah Gyarmati of the compact bay daughter of Henny Hughes. "I expect her to show up again Saturday, like she always does."
No worse than third in five starts, Well Kept closed out her 2011 campaign with the narrowest of losses to Dance to Bristol in the Pandera overnight stakes over a sloppy track on December 7. Prior to that, she won an optional claimer in the mud on the Big A's main track November 17 and scored by four lengths in a 5 ½-furlong maiden race at Belmont Park on September 25, having finished third in her debut at Saratoga Race Course.
"She's never had a bad race," said Gyarmati of the granddaughter of champion Safely Kept. "She always tries, and always gives 100 percent. She's already done a lot."
Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride the Treadway Racing Stable color-bearer from post position 3.
The Tony Dutrow-trained Singlet has made a pair of victorious appearances in
"We were very happy to see such an improvement in her last race," said Dutrow of Singlet's performance in the Xtra Heat, in which she ran the six furlongs in 1:11.73 and defeated a pair of next-out winners. "She's a big, beautiful filly and has always displayed a lot of talent, but she still has a lot to prove. Let's see how much class she possesses, and see how good she is."
As the 2-1 second choice on the morning line and high weight at 122 pounds, Singlet will leave from post position 4 with Cornelio Velasquez aboard.
Third in the Ruthless, and third choice on the morning line at 5-2, is Corderosa. The Aldebaran filly, a 5 ¼-length winner of her debut on December 7, closed widest of all from midpack to finish 4 ¾ lengths behind Agave Kiss. Trained by David Donk for William Punk, Jr. and Philip DiLeo, Corderosa will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from the rail.
Completing the field is a pair of recent maiden winners – WinStar Farm's Lisa T. (half-sister to 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver) who won going a mile on December 30 at Aqueduct in her third start, and Marvelous Margaret, who scored second time out at six furlongs on January 25.
The field for the $75,000 Dearly Precious:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Corderosa (KY) | J Alvarado | 116 | D G Donk | 5-2 |
| 2 | Lisa T. (KY) | A Garcia | 116 | T A Pletcher | 8-1 |
| 3 | Well Kept (KY) | I Ortiz, Jr. | 118 | L Gyarmati | 9-5 |
| 4 | Singlet (FL) | C H Velasquez | 122 | A | 2-1 |
| 5 | Marvelous Margaret (FL) | R Curatolo | 116 | C F Martin | 12-1 |
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