Prairie State Festival - Purple Violet Stakes 2011 -Third chance in crucial race, Goldway to provide competition
Trainer, James P. Divito’s, Third Chance has a fair chance to win the Purple Violet Stakes, which is one of the six stakes races, in the Prairie State Festival.
The race is run over a distance of 1 mile and 8 furlongs, is open to three year old fillies, and has a purse of $100,000.
The Prairie State festival is exclusively for horses registered and foaled in Illinois, Chicago. It’s a thoroughbred horse race run at Arlington Park and the festival was inaugurated in 2000.
The most prominent entrant of the race is Third Chance, who won the $100,000, Showtime Deb Stakes. The recent past hasn’t been pleasant for the three year old bay filly. She endured a tough time early this year at the Gulfstream where she finished fifth in the Grade Two Forward Gal Stakes.
After the Forward Gal Stakes was the Tampa track and that particular track has proved to be a tough track. Especially for the horses that get over it for the first time fail to cope with the depth of the track. Third Chance finished fourth in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay.
Kafwain’s three year old daughter had it tough coming into the Prairie State Festival and running in the 1 mile 8 furlong distance would also test her capacity and stamina at the end. Purple Violet Stakes will surely test horses that had no break coming into the race.
Third Chance has a true chance to redeem herself of the poor display she showed in previous encounters and sprint her way to victory, but if there are any rigors of the recent races than it is going to be a little difficult to overcome the challenge stored for her at Arlington Park.
A jam packed summer awaits Third Chance with an upcoming $150,000 Colin Stakes on 16 July, so no rest for the wicked. Owned by Ron Magers and trained by James P Divito, Third Chance has to do well at the Arlington Park to decide her future for the rest of the season.
If she does well both performance wise and fitness wise then owner Ron Magers will decide whether to continue her season, or, not, because they did not do the filly any favours this winter where she had to go through rigorous conditions, and, participate in tough races.
It is good that she is holding up well till now but her connections would be mindful of her torrid season so far and it would be wise to rest the bay filly for a while if her fitness is on the line.
The poly-track would be good for some of the fillies participating, who usually do well on grass, fillies such as, Goldway, could prove to be tough competition for Third Chance.
Tags: