WRENICE - is in tonight for the fourth in her crop's Texas Stallion Stakes Race Series for Nominated Tx-Bred fillies of Texas Stallions. The $125,000 Two Altazao Stakes.
She made the FRONT PAGE OF THE SPORTS section in today's Houston Chronicle with with a photo and lead-in to an above the fold article inside: "Wrenice Has Target On Her Back, Stakes Field bests favorite will falter when forced to go a longer distance". The article goes on to describe this outstanding fillies 2YO win streak in Tx-Bred restricted stakes races.
This will be her first time to try going a mile and to date she's wanted to run/win on the front end so will be a test to see if a) she will relax/settle a bit, b) handle contention for the lead early without exhausting her reserves and/or even settle behind runners and c) whether she'll fire when asked for those reserves hitting the stretch. IN her last out - open company stakes in La. she did NOT like being behind other runners BUT did respond when swung wide and asked, closing strongly to finish a better second than the stats would indicate. Her old 2YO rival for Texas Top 2YO Filly (who lost to Wrenice in the last few weeks of racing 2006) Stage Stop is also entered, plus some filies not raced so heavily as 2YOs but with the pedigree, etc. to be contenders at a mile or more.
This should be an interesting race, racing fans!
Wrenice races tonight @ Sam Houston
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
Well, the "second place finisher" was the other exciting Texas bred filly, Stage Stop. Wrenice was the Texas chamption two year old filly, with Stage Stop only one point behind. Their great rivalry continues. It certainly adds some excitement to Texas racing.
I am totally biased due to my connections to the sire of Wrenice, Uncle Abbie -- so could not be happier to see Wrenice prevail at the distance. It seems to me that Wrenice is maturing and learning, and had a wonderful ride. Congratulations to Stewart Hamblen, her owner and breeder. Also to Joe and Sharon Kerby at Key Ranch. Victory is sweet.
Bedouwia
I am totally biased due to my connections to the sire of Wrenice, Uncle Abbie -- so could not be happier to see Wrenice prevail at the distance. It seems to me that Wrenice is maturing and learning, and had a wonderful ride. Congratulations to Stewart Hamblen, her owner and breeder. Also to Joe and Sharon Kerby at Key Ranch. Victory is sweet.
Bedouwia
If you missed seeing this race - you really missed something. It was everything racing fans, breeders & owners to race, trainers, jockeys and players like to see:
A stakes race that attracted the one-two close rivals for Texas Champion 2 YO filly, renewing their battle....
The favorite WRENICE, who proved in the final month of 2006 to be the "best" Tx-Bred filly running as a 2YO and after her first 3 races was unbeatable as a 2YO in Tx-Acc'd company, here streching beyond her preferred distances of 7.5 furlongs and less,
Going against some classy and 'coming' competition..."Stage Stop" - her proven rival and close competitor as a 2YO and the two Asmussen entrants, etc - most of these have pedigrees that suggest they'd be better contenders at 3 and at distances of a mile or greater and they've all been improving up to this race......
A race that was guaranteed to have some pace - Wrenice's early speed on the front end and enough length to give those stalkers/closers a shot at running down the favorite......
The best of the local Jockey colony and some top imports......plus both national based trainers and locally based trainers - those with the big stables and the winning trainer with his relatively small barn.....
Horses bought at auction and homebreds.....
In a Restricted Stakes Race offering a purse of $125K....plus
A lot of exotic betting options with excellent chances of paying off for this race PLUS it was the last in a Pick Three bet with the two races preceeding at Sam Houston...(So if like me you "knew" WRENICE would win all you have to do is focus on the two prior races.....I did but missed it when a longshot won the first of the Pick Three - should have known Jockey Boxie bodes well for that horse!)
WRENICE proved she's not only a top sprinter but she's a filly of great heart who benefited from a ride under her lifetime regular jockey, Walker, that let her run her race, relax a bit on the front and then prove she had it when asked for a bit more nearing the finish with contenders thundering up to try and overtake her, which old rival Stage Stop very nearly did...losing by a neck at the wire.
The interesting thing here is this race for 3YO Tx-Acc'd Fillies was run over the mile at a faster time than the same race for Colts/Geldings a bit later in the program. Since WRENICE was the one that forced the pace and went on to prevail I think it gives you an idea of this filly's talent and depth of heart.
The question now is where to go next with this talented filly. Has she hit her peak capability or is she maturing, learning to relax/be rated a bit and stretch out eventually? IF put up against 7.5 furlong or less races (her strength) in Restricted Stakes she'll scare off the competition (as she did when the earlier Cy-Fair Stakes Race was cancelled at Sam Houston for lack of entrants).......but if sent out against 3YO fillies at her preferred distance in Open Company she may well find it disconcerting to encounter fillies every bit as speedy - and some a step more so in the earlier going - as she did in her outing previous to this race in Louisiana. There are Tx-Bred Restricted stakes races at a mile and less coming up at Manor and at Lone Star in the next 90/120 days.....Or is it time to slip out of state and try the open company? Try to run her against the boys in State Bred Stakes at distances of 6.5 - 7.5 furlongs?
A stakes race that attracted the one-two close rivals for Texas Champion 2 YO filly, renewing their battle....
The favorite WRENICE, who proved in the final month of 2006 to be the "best" Tx-Bred filly running as a 2YO and after her first 3 races was unbeatable as a 2YO in Tx-Acc'd company, here streching beyond her preferred distances of 7.5 furlongs and less,
Going against some classy and 'coming' competition..."Stage Stop" - her proven rival and close competitor as a 2YO and the two Asmussen entrants, etc - most of these have pedigrees that suggest they'd be better contenders at 3 and at distances of a mile or greater and they've all been improving up to this race......
A race that was guaranteed to have some pace - Wrenice's early speed on the front end and enough length to give those stalkers/closers a shot at running down the favorite......
The best of the local Jockey colony and some top imports......plus both national based trainers and locally based trainers - those with the big stables and the winning trainer with his relatively small barn.....
Horses bought at auction and homebreds.....
In a Restricted Stakes Race offering a purse of $125K....plus
A lot of exotic betting options with excellent chances of paying off for this race PLUS it was the last in a Pick Three bet with the two races preceeding at Sam Houston...(So if like me you "knew" WRENICE would win all you have to do is focus on the two prior races.....I did but missed it when a longshot won the first of the Pick Three - should have known Jockey Boxie bodes well for that horse!)
WRENICE proved she's not only a top sprinter but she's a filly of great heart who benefited from a ride under her lifetime regular jockey, Walker, that let her run her race, relax a bit on the front and then prove she had it when asked for a bit more nearing the finish with contenders thundering up to try and overtake her, which old rival Stage Stop very nearly did...losing by a neck at the wire.
The interesting thing here is this race for 3YO Tx-Acc'd Fillies was run over the mile at a faster time than the same race for Colts/Geldings a bit later in the program. Since WRENICE was the one that forced the pace and went on to prevail I think it gives you an idea of this filly's talent and depth of heart.
The question now is where to go next with this talented filly. Has she hit her peak capability or is she maturing, learning to relax/be rated a bit and stretch out eventually? IF put up against 7.5 furlong or less races (her strength) in Restricted Stakes she'll scare off the competition (as she did when the earlier Cy-Fair Stakes Race was cancelled at Sam Houston for lack of entrants).......but if sent out against 3YO fillies at her preferred distance in Open Company she may well find it disconcerting to encounter fillies every bit as speedy - and some a step more so in the earlier going - as she did in her outing previous to this race in Louisiana. There are Tx-Bred Restricted stakes races at a mile and less coming up at Manor and at Lone Star in the next 90/120 days.....Or is it time to slip out of state and try the open company? Try to run her against the boys in State Bred Stakes at distances of 6.5 - 7.5 furlongs?