In what race do you THINK Rags to Riches will start next??

Question

I was looking on the internet and found out that she will return to the work tab next month at Hollywood Park and will likely make her next start in April. So, which race do you THINK she will start in next???

Answer 1

she will run in a grade 3 event...then ship out for the big money races, her

days against the boys are over, i just hope she regains her top form

again....

Answer 2

Apple Blossom at Oaklawn, maybe.

Maybe the Santa Lucia Handicap if they want to give her an easy race for conditioning and don't want to ship her.  I don't know all the restrictions.  But it looks like "non winners of a stakes at a mile or greater in '08".  So she would qualify.  Too bad for the rest of the field if that's where she ends up.

Answer 3

I don't necessarily think her "days against the boys are over" though that certainly won't be her first race after a layoff! Pletcher's English Channel had a hairline fracture earlier in his career and he came back better than ever and just won the Breeder's Cup Turf. Yes, I think they will probably look at Grade 2 or 3 races for Rags' first start. I suspect it would be a race on a dirt surface as opposed to synthetic and I figure it would be at least a mile, mile and an 8th or something like that since she doesn't seem to be a sprinter. Other than that, it is anyone's guess. I was so happy to hear that she is coming back!

Answer 4

I really doubt they'll start Rags in the Apple Blossom just because it's a grade I and she'll be coming off a huge layoff.

Here's what I would do...  train her over the Hollywood Park synthetic, ship her back to KY and run her at Keeneland in the G-III Doubledogdare 3 weeks before the Derby so that she'd be ready for the G-II Louisville Handicap.  I could also see her going in the G-II Vinery Madison at Keeneland the week before the Doubledogdare, but it's only 7 furlongs so it's not exactly her style.  The only other thing I see happening is if they put her in an allowance race due to the lack of options for older fillies going over a mile on the dirt in April.

I know they said April, but I'll be looking for her in March... particularly because of the greater options for a 4 year old distaffer.  The Azeri and the Rampart are both a little early in the month, but the Next Move is at the very end of the month... and that's where Pletcher brought Indian Vale for her first win of the year.  And I know Rags will be training over the synthetic, but I really think it's better to run her on the dirt since that's all she's ever run on before.