Sheilahs Warcloud has had some tough beats in her young career, including a trio of runner-up outings in stakes company. She’ll try to change that in Saturday’s $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes for three-year-old fillies going seven furlongs.

Sheilahs Warcloud is a daughter of Madefromlucky co-bred, owned and trained by Justin Nixon. Out of the Sky Mesa mare Sky Lani, she closed her 2-year-old campaign as runner-up in the Maryland Million Lassie and Maryland Juvenile Filly. She did not make her sophomore debut until Aug. 31, and last out she was beaten less than a length by multiple stakes winner Foxy Junior in the Maryland Million Distaff.

“It was a tough beat but she got beat by an awful good horse. She got close and was making a run at her and that mare came back to win the Thirty Eight Go Go, so that kind of flattered the performance. Hopefully we can build on that a little bit and get the job done,” Nixon said.

Sheilahs Warcloud has never been worse than second in eight career starts, including three wins. She has earned nearly $200,000.

She ran second in her return to action this summer and then won a Maryland-restricted allowance Sept. 22. In the Maryland Million Distaff, she was far off the early pace before mounting a strong late rally that just fell short.

 “Her last two starts were against older horses. This is kind of her last chance to run against straight 3-year-old fillies so we thought we’d give it a whirl at a distance where she’s been running,” he added. “I think ultimately she’d like to go a little further but I’m not concerned about seven-eighths. She’s been running pretty solid her last two going seven-eighths so we don’t need to get too creative.”

Jean Briceno has the return mount. Sheilahs Warcloud is 6-1 on the morning line and the co-third choice in a field of 10.

Favoritism falls to Dazzling Move, trained by Mike Trombetta Sonata Stable. She is 2-1 on the morning line as she seeks her first stakes win. Most recently she ran second in the Pumpkin Pie Stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 3. Jorge Ruiz is named.

Also expected to get play at the windows is Ellen Jay (5-2), trained by Brad Cox for LNJ Foxwoods. The Constitution filly, out of the ultra-fast sprinter Covfefe, arrives on a three-race win streak and is slated to bring jockey Junior Alvarado along. All three of those wins, however, have come on turf.

The Safely Kept is the seventh race on a nine-race program. Post time for the opener is 12:25 p.m.

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