A talented field of nine 3-year-old fillies will contest Saturday’s $150,000 Mockingbird Stakes at six furlongs at Oaklawn Park, with Florida-bred G W’s Girl looking to make her dirt debut against heavy favorite Shisospicy.
G W’s Girl, a $130,000 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March purchase by Mag Racing Stables, represents one of the most intriguing prospects in the field. The Munnings filly won at Delaware Park over five furlongs in September before running fifth in the five-and-one-half furlong Indian Summer Stakes at Keeneland against males. That race’s winner, Governor Sam, went on to place third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Bred by Larry Alan Wynn in Florida, she’ll make her first start on dirt after showing talent on turf.
The likely favorite is Shisospicy, who dominated her debut at Gulfstream Park by over 16 lengths. The daughter of Mitole followed that with a third in the six-and-one-half furlong Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Lady Crush exits a debut win at Remington Park. Piggy Tales Up enters with two wins from three starts, most recently taking an allowance race in the slop at Remington. Helen’s Revenge comes in off a maiden claiming victory by five-and-a-quarter lengths over the Oaklawn strip.
Battleshipper showed talent at Prairie Meadows this summer, breaking her maiden by over eight lengths and then running second in the Prairie Meadows Freshman Stakes. Chatter, a $125,000 Keeneland September yearling, won at Keeneland in October. Flash Master and Clapping Trees complete the field.
The Mockingbird Stakes goes as race seven on Saturday’s card with a scheduled post time of 4:50 p.m. ET. The sprint serves as an early season test for 3-year-old fillies on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
The field from the rail out: Lady Crush (Murphy, 20-1), G W’s Girl (Arrieta, 6-1), Piggy Tales Up (Castillo, 20-1), Helen’s Revenge (Hernandez, 15-1), Clapping Trees (Alvarado, 15-1), Battleshipper (Chuan, 8-1), Shisospicy (Prat, 4-5), Flash Master (Esquivel, 20-1), and Chatter (Vazquez, 9-2).
