2010 Sire Stakes Preview: Sophomores

Star Sheba headlines Sophomore Fillies Sire Stakes

With no repeat stakes winners in 2010, Saturday’s $50,000 Michigan Sire Stakes for three year-old fillies at Pinnacle Race Course will go a long way in deciding who earns the division’s title.

This section of the Sire Stakes drew ten three-year-old Michigan-sired fillies to run 1 1/16 miles. Eventual champion Hakuna Matata was the winner of last year’s running.

Regret Stakes winner Star Sheba will start from the outside post in Saturday’s race. The Elusive Hour filly won the July 10 race by 3/4 lengths in a gate-to-wire effort at Pinnacle. She also finished third in the Sept. 11 Michigan Oaks. Star Sheba enters the Sire Stakes off a runner-up finish in a Sept. 20 allowance race at Mountaineer. Tommy Molina will ride Star Sheba for owner Elkhorn Oaks, Inc. and trainer James Jackson.

Cute Creation cashed in at a big price in the Michigan Oaks after a front-running victory. The daughter of Creative pulled away in the stretch to win by 4 3/4 lengths at odds of 13.90-to-one in her most recent start. Owned by Say Bay Racing, LLC and trained by Gary Terrien, Cute Creation will be ridden by Jorge Collazo, Jr.

Charlies Fire has come to life since moving to Pinncale. The Fire Blitz filly has gone two-for-two in a maiden special weight and allowance races at the Detroit-area track by a combined 8 1/2 lengths. Prior to that, Charlies Fire turned in a fourth place finish in a maiden claiming race at Presque Isle Downs. Federico Mata will be in the irons for owner Lisa Campbell

#. Horse / Jockey / Trainer / Odds

1. Charlies Fire / F Mata / P L White / 5-2
2. Hustle Now / O Bernal / L R Uelmen / 7-2
3. Equality’s Angel / J J Delgado / S M Spiess / 20-1
4. Cute Creation / J E Collazo, Jr. / G E Terrien / 6-1
5. Run with Rachel / R Barrios / L Penner / 10-1
6. De La Crem / J Skerrett / R M Gorham / 12-1
7. Fully Exposed / A O Stanley / J R Jackson / 15-1
8. Skys Red Roxy / W P Rini / D Cluley / 20-1
9. Ironically Equal / A A Marin / S M Adkins / 20-1
10. Star Sheba / T Molina / J R Jackson / 3-1

Power Of Titus returns to division in soph males Sire Stakes

Michigan’s three-year-old males will compete in their division of Michigan’s marquee race in Saturday’s $50,000 Michigan Sire Stakes at Pinnacle Race Course.

Seven Michigan-sired colts and geldings are scheduled to entered the gates in the 1 1/16-mile race. Romeo Again found the winner’s circle in the 2009 edition of the Sire Stakes.

After jumping up to tackle the older males, Power Of Titus will once again face his fellow three-year-olds in Saturday’s race. The Secret Romeo gelding finished third in his last start, only a half length behind the winner, in the Oct. 2 Frontier Handicap against Michigan’s older males. In his most recent start against sophomores, Power Of Titus drove to the wire to win the Sept. 4 Mackinac Handicap. Owned and trained by Del Waite, Power of Titus will be ridden by Octavio Bernal.

Dowling Stakes winner Meadow Magic is also entered in the Sire Stakes. The Meadow Prayer gelding won that race by four lengths, and probably could have added more distance if not for drifting out near the outside rail down the stretch. He enters Saturday’s race off a second place finish in the Mackinac. James Jackson will saddle Meadow Magic for owners Laura Jackson and Red Riding Hood Stables, LLC. Tommy Molina will get the riding assignment in Saturday’s race.

Prince Of Paulie will try to make a six-day turnaround to win his first race of the year after winning Michigan’s two-year-old male of the year. The gelded son of Meadow Prayer finished fourth in an October 10 allowance race at Pinnacle prior to Saturday’s race after starts in Pinnacle’s three divisional stakes races. Ronald Allen, Jr. picks up the mount for owner John Mack and Richard Rettele.

#. Horse / Jockey / Trainer / Odds

1. Power Of Titus / O Bernal / D D Waite / 2-1
2. Watchin The Vix / F Mata / R M Gorham / 10-1
3. Call The Natives / W Rini / M A Barron / 12-1
4. Generalyitsamemory / R Barrios / D Cluley / 15-1
5. Prince Of Paulie / R D Allen, Jr. / R J Rettele / 5-1
6. Secrets Only / J Skerrett / R M Gorham / 8-1
7. Meadow Magic / T Molina / J R Jackson / 8-5

Soph fillies supremacy up for grabs in Michigan Oaks

Michigan’s jumbled three-year-old fillies division will get one step closer to shaking itself out in Saturday’s $50,000 Michigan Oaks at Pinnacle Race Course.

Eight Michigan-bred fillies will challenge the mile and one sixteenth race, including the winners of Pinnacle’s two stakes races run earlier in the meet for the division. Last year’s Michigan Oaks was won by Baba Booyah.

The field is led by Ann Arbor Stakes winner Top Touch. A daughter of Touch Gold, Top Touch won the Aug. 7 race by 5 1/4 lengths after dueling with Cute Creation, also entered in the Michigan Oaks, and pulling clear in the stretch. Alexis Ortiz will get the leg up from trainer Sandra Adkins for owner Charlie Williams.

After skipping the Ann Arbor, Star Sheba returns to Pinnacle’s stakes ranks after trips to Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The Elusive Hour filly won the Regret Stakes at Pinnacle on July 10 with a wire-to-wire trip. She enters the Michigan Oaks off a runner-up effort in an Aug. 31 allowance race at Mountaineer. Star Sheba is owned by Elkhorn Oaks, Inc. and trained by James Jackson. Tommy Molina will be in irons for Saturday’s race.

Also entered is Robert Gorham-trained De La Crem. The Island Storm filly comes into the Michigan Oaks off a five length front-running score in an Aug. 21 allowance race at Pinnacle. Jeffrey Skerrett will wear the colors of owner Mast Thoroughbreds, LLC in the race.

#. Horse / Jockey / Trainer / Odds

1. Hustle Now / O Bernal / L R Uelmen / 4-1
2. Star Sheba / T Molina / J R Jackson / 7-2
3. Fully Exposed / F Mata / J R Jackson / 10-1
4. Top Touch / A Ortiz / S M Adkins / 8-5
5. Cute Creation / J E Collazo, Jr. / G E Terrien / 15-1
6. De La Crem / J Skerrett / R M Gorham / 10-1
7. Run with Rachel / R Barrios / L Penner / 8-1
8. Skys Red Roxy / J J Delgado / D Cluley / 12-1

Star Sheba shines in Regret Stakes

Star Sheba led at every call and held on late to win Saturday’s $50,000 Regret Stakes at Pinnacle Race Course.

The three-year-old Elusive Hour filly broke quickly and was soon on the rail, a length ahead of Skys Red Roxy. Hustle Now and post time favorite Touch Misscrafty also loomed on the outside as the field made its way across the backstretch. Skys Red Roxy stayed on Star Sheba’s outside hip heading into the turn, about 3/4 lengths off the leader, and pressured her foe throughout the bend. Behind them, Hustle Now began to fall off the pace, while Touch Misscrafty continued her outside trip about two lengths off the leaders.

A head’s length separated the pair as they made their way into the stretch, but Star Sheba once again separated from her foe. Still on the outside, Skys Red Roxy was shifted to the rail, which had opened up after the leader drifted out from the turn. Skys Red Roxy once again rallied from that position and was on even terms with the leader with 100 yards to go. However, Star Sheba found the kick to separate herself from her rival one last time as the wire drew near to win the Regret by 3/4 lengths under urging from jockey Octavio Bernal. Fully Exposed closed up the rail to take third, 3/4 lengths ahead of a still-wide Touch Misscrafty.

Star Sheba won the six furlong Regret with a time of 1:13.63 over a fast dirt surface. She left the gate as the field’s third choice at odds of 5.50-to-one.

Star Sheba was homebred in Michigan by Elkhorn Oaks Inc. and is trained by James Jackson.

The Regret was Star Sheba’s third victory from five career starts, and her first in stakes company. Her career earnings now total $55,564.

For an Equibase chart of the race, click here.

6 – Star Sheba (Octavio Bernal) 13.00 / 5.00 / 3.20
4 – Skys Red Roxy (Diego Rodriguez) 10.20 / 5.40
1 –  Fully Exposed (Tommy Molina) 7.80

Six Furlongs
Time: 1:13.63