After shocking the field at odds of 21.40-to-one in the July 17 Larkspur Handicap, Equalitysdebutante returns to prove her effort was no fluke in Saturday’s $20,000 Moonbeam Handicap at Pinnacle Race Course.
Equalitysdebutante will face seven rivals in Saturday’s one mile race for older Michigan-bred fillies and mares. Last year’s installment of the Moonbeam was won by Yawm Estoora.
The purse for the race has been decreased from its normal $50,000 value to accommodate for additional race days of regulation from the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
Equalitysdebutante, a Michigan champion two-year-old filly in 2007, won the Larkspur by five lengths in a front-running trip. The win was the five-year-old Equality mare’s first stakes score since her Juvenile campaign and her most recent start. Larry Penner will saddle Equalitysdebutante for owner Richard Hammer. Octavio Bernal will pick up the mount for Saturday’s race.
Three-time Michigan horse of the year Valley Loot finished second to Equalitysdebutante in the Larkspur, also her most recent start. The six-year-old Demaloot Demashoot mare is still seeking her first win of 2010 after running into buzzsaws in all three of her starts this year, finishing second each time. Regular rider Federico Mata will once again be in the saddle for owner Felicia Campbell and trainer Ronald Allen, Sr..
Also entered is the Larkspur’s third place finisher, Peak Of The Storm. The four-year-old Peaks And Valleys filly was the front-running winner of last year’s Regret Stakes at Pinnacle and seeks her first win of the year in the Moonbeam. Peak Of The Storm is a stablemate of Equalitysdebutante, owned by Richard Hammer and trained by Larry Penner. Ricardo Barrios will be in the irons
#. Horse / Jockey / Trainer / Odds
1. Moon Charmer / T Molina / R M Gorham / 7-2
1A. Baba Booyah / J Skerrett / R M Gorham / 7-2
2. Peak Of The Storm / R Barrios / L Penner / 5-2
2B. Equalitysdebutante / O Bernal / L Penner / 5-2
3. Half A Glance / A Ortiz / J Gold / 20-1
4. Hakuna Matata / J J Delgado / L R Uelmen / 4-1
5. Secret Candy / J E Collazo, Jr. / R D Allen, Sr. / 20-1
6. Valley Loot / F Mata / R D Allen, Sr. / 6-5
The Michigan-Bred Claimer 