Dixie Belle Stakes attracts deep field

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Mariah’s Princess has kept the company of some talented fillies, and her running lines point her out as a top contender in a competitive renewal of the $150,000 Dixie Belle on Sunday at Oaklawn Park.

The race, which is for 3-yearold fillies at six furlongs, is one of three stakes on the program. The Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa drew champion Monomoy Girl, and the $150,000 Downthedustyroad for Arkansas-bred fillies and mares is led by defending winner Bye Bye J.

Mariah’s Princess invades from Fair Grounds, where she won a maiden special weight over Li’l Tootsie in November. Following the race, Li’l Tootsie won a maiden sprint at the track with a Beyer Speed Figure of 89 and a first-level allowance route with a Beyer of 80.

Mariah’s Princess, meanwhile, ran back in December in the $75,000 Letellier Memorial and finished second to three-time stakes winner Joy’s Rocket. The third-place finisher from the race, Charlie’s Penny, returned to win the $150,000 Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds.

“It seems like every horse she’s run against has come back to run well,” said Phil Bauer, who trains Mariah’s Princess for Rigney Racing. “We’re certainly excited about her. And one thing we’re excited about the most is that she’s a Ghostzapper. They tend to improve with age, and hopefully that’s true with her, too.”

Mariah’s Princess is part of a field of eight for the Dixie Belle. Her rivals include stakes winners Miss Twenty, Big Time, and Heart Full of Soul. The field gets further depth from Abrogate and Goin’ Good, who both make their stakes debut after winning the first two starts of their careers, and Windmill, who comes off a local maiden special weight score for which she earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 84.

Mariah’s Princess will break from post 2 under David Cabrera.

“I think she’s a very kind horse, will do anything you ask her to do,” Bauer said. “In all of her races, she’s got such great speed she’s put herself in the race. I’m confident she’ll do anything. She’ll kind of cruise along until you need her.”

Goin’ Good will be racing on dirt for the first time after winning both her maiden and a first-level allowance on the grass.

“She’s had some family that would run on both, and I think she will run on both,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She trains with confidence on dirt.”

Goin’ Good is by Congrats. Her dam, Good Deed, was a multiple stakes winner who earned more than $385,000. She was 4 for 8 on turf and 5 for 11 on dirt.

Florent Geroux has the mount from the rail.

◗ Bye Bye J makes her first start against Arkansas-breds since she won last year’s Downthedustyroad at six furlongs. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong and trainer Steve Asmussen – the same team behind possible Dixie Belle favorite Abrogate.