Maiden America Sunday: Hoop Tea's Hooptie Handicapper picks 2yos at Churchill Downs, Pimlico, Santa Anita
Maiden America 5.23.21
By the Hooptie Handicapper
Email: hooptiehandicapper@gmail.com
Sponsored by Hoop Tea
This will be brief today as we have three races to cover, all two year olds.
Churchill Downs Race 1 - $52K Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies running five furlongs
#8 Miss Chamita (9/2) is one of two with race experience and she posted a dull 62 Equibase figure in open company on turf at Keeneland in late April. She never passed any horses and really ran a poor effort. However, she has returned to work out a :47.6 from the gate and with the race experience, will be a factor. Trainer Michael Douaihy an impressive 22% winner with 2yo’s and 25% from turf to dirt. The other first time starter is #3 Bodacious Baby (15/1) and that was a $50K claimer which she gave an exceedingly poor effort. No workout since, so don't expect much. Pass.
My choice today is the Tyler Gaffalione ridden and Mike Maker trained #6 Stella Grace (3/1). This is a picture from her OBS March Auction Sale breeze where she clocked 2f in :21.1. She was subsequently sold for $45K and moved to the Maker barn and just flashed a :47.4 work from the gate. She has a little bit above average stride length, which is perfect for Sprint races and her sire, Bernardini, is a strong 15% winners with first foals.
Pimlico Race 2 - $40K Maiden Special Weight
2yo Fillies running 4.5 furlongs
Given the impressive conformation of #5 Tessa P (3/1), and her recent gate works, she’s the choice.
Santa Anita Race 2 - $61K Maiden Special Weight
2yo’s going 4.5 furlongs
S/L
Bet On Mookie** SA 2 2 73 66 75 26.7 23.88 2
That, my friends, is what a 26.7 foot stride length looks like. Since early February, we have tracked 1534 horses with breezefigs who have known stride lengths. Of those 1534 horses, 29 have a stride length greater than 26 feet. That is how rare it is. Bet on Mookie will now make #30. To put this in perspective, Secretariat had a 26.4 foot stride length. Why does this matter? Because the average horse runs at a 24 foot stride length and this horse runs at 26 feet per stride, a decided two foot advantage.
Bet On Mookie will be my choice in today’s race.
Happy Hunting 😊