Pink Ribbon Stakes: Preview, odds, and analysis
Sweet On Smokey won the What A Summer Stakes at Laurel Park by a couple lengths on January 2. Photo by Laurie Asseo.
From a Charles Town release
A trio of fillies and mares from the $150,000 Sugar Maple presented by CANTER Mid-Atlantic on this April’s Charles Town Classic undercard will square off once again over the Charles Town oval as they take part in this Saturday night’s $100,000 Pink Ribbon. The Pink Ribbon represents the symbol of the day’s events on track as a variety of fundraising activities are planned to raise money for the Susa G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation’s West Virginia Affiliate as a part of Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races’ eighth Race for the Ribbon program.
Of the three returning runners from the Sugar Maple, BB Horses’ Sweet on Smokey fared the best in April checking in second behind longshot winner Raging Smoke. Since her last trip to Charles Town, the daughter of Successful Appeal has found the winner’s circle once in four starts with the win coming in the $50,000 Dashing Beauty at Delaware Park.
Trained by Claudio Gonzalez, Sweet on Smokey is reunited with jockey Jevian Toledo who rode her to the runner-up effort in the Sugar Maple.
Making Havoc, the beaten even-money favorite in the Sugar Maple, will make her second start for trainer Gary Contessa after being claimed from the Michelle Nevin barn at Saratoga on August 10. Owned now by Hot Scot Racing Stables, Making Havoc made her first start for her new barn in a September 1 optional claiming allowance at Saratoga, but checked in sixth, beaten by 7 1/4 lengths.
Should she capture the Pink Ribbon on Saturday, it would mark the first stakes win of Making Havoc’s career.
The six-year-old mare Flattering Bea is back to take a fourth crack at winning the Pink Ribbon, having finished fifth as a three-year-old, second as a four-year-old and then third in the 2015 running. The leading money earner in the field, having banked north of $436,000 over her 30 race career, Flattering Bea will look to break a 13 race losing streak in stakes that dates back to the 2014 Sugar Maple.
Jose Montano, who has been on Flattering Bea in her last two tries in the Pink Ribbon once again has the mount.
New to the fray is G. Watts Humphrey’s Pretty Fancy who returns in the Pink Ribbon after a near four month absence following a seventh place finish in the Roxelana at Churchill Downs on June 25. Trained by Rusty Arnold, the daughter of Lemon Drop Kid fell just a half-length short of becoming a graded stakes winner herself in the 2015 Doubledogdare (G3) at Keeneland.
Thomas and Will Van Meter’s Remember Lucy, New Jersey-bred stakes winner She’s Hot Wired, locally based Kluvyabye and Swan Deer complete the field for the Pink Ribbon.
Post time for the Pink Ribbon is slated for 9:39 P.M.
[su_box title=”PINK RIBBON STAKES ENTRIES” style=”glass”]For fillies and mares three-years-old and up, 7 furlongs, $100,000 purse
- Swan Deer (30-1) — Oscar Flores, 119, Shawn D. Brackett — Seems like a long ship for a horse whose last win was against beaten nickels
- She’s Hot Wired (5-1) — Trevor McCarthy, 119, Miguel Penaloza — Owns four wins — one in NJ-bred stake — in last eight starts after two in first 30
- Kluvyabye (30-1) –– Antonio Lopez, 119, Michael G. Atkins — Lengthy losing streak in progress for WV-bred figures to grow longer here
- Flattering Bea (6-1) — Jose Montano, 119, Crystal G. Pickett — CT lover has earned almost $300k over the strip but must find best form here
- Sweet on Smokey (5-2) — Jevian Toledo, 124, Claudio A. Gonzalez — Astute $12,500 claim has enjoyed a superb year, including 3 stakes win, and not inclined to judge two back effort too harshly given presence of BC Filly and Mare Sprint champ Wavell Avenue — but last out failure at 1-2 a possible trouble sign
- Making Havoc (7-2) — Carol Cedeno, 121, Gary C. Contessa — Doesn’t appear to be the kind she was last time she visited this track, but a return to early ’16 form would put her right there
- Pretty Fancy (3-1) — Javier Castellano, 119, George R. Arnold, II — Nine-race losing streak includes four in graded company; this group isn’t like that; top national rider takes charge
- Remember Lucy (6-1) — Brian J. Hernandez, Jr., 119, William B. Van Meter — Won at first asking and two subsequent losses came on the lawn; still plenty of upside for this runner
