Subtle Step shows she’s a good one

Although they attracted a combined total of only 10 entrants, the two Grade 1, $300,000 route races for 2-year-olds at Los Alamitos Race Course – the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity and the Starlet – are the marquee races on Saturday’s stakes schedule.

But also of considerable interest is the first North America running of the Clasico Internacional del Caribe at Gulfstream Park, topped by the $300,000 Clasico, or Caribbean Classic, if you like.

Wait a While

I would love to have featured the Caribbean Classic, or one of the four other Clasico del Caribe events. But assessing the relative form of horses from numerous Caribbean and Latin American countries is, frankly, guesswork. We could have a much better handle on which countries have the stronger horses after a couple of these races are run; at least, that’s how I’ll approach it. But 48 hours out? Nope. Too tough.

Fortunately, there are six other $75,000 stakes on Gulfstream’s card, and the Wait a While Stakes is the one I like best. Stainless can win here. She was a willing second in the Jessamine two starts back in her first and only other turf start to Rushing Fall, who came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to extend her unbeaten streak to three and is a contender for a divisional championship. But Stainless was a soundly beaten second in the Jessamine and took advantage of a pace that fell apart.

Moreover, don’t be misled by her trouble line for her 10th-place finish most recently in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, which reads “Saved ground to no avail.” If that were true, then Stainless could be given a total pass for her Juvenile Fillies performance as the rail on the main track at Del Mar on Breeders’ Cup Friday and Saturday was dead. But outside of a brief period late on the backstretch and early on the far turn when she was on the rail, Stainless was away from the inside and did not save ground.

I like Subtle Step, who was most impressive winning her first and only start going long on Keeneland’s turf course for trainer Shug McGaughey. McGaughey is a truly great trainer who can get horses ready with the best of them. But it’s news when he wins with first-time starters, because he prefers to let horses develop at their own rate so that they fulfill their maximum potential. Subtle Step winning first out for McGaughey is, I believe, a not-so-subtle sign she’s a good one. Then again, she looked like a good one at Keeneland, taking control with an early move before reaching the far turn and winning off by almost five lengths. In addition, Subtle Step was flattered when the filly who finished second to her came back to win her next start with a nine-point Beyer Speed Figure improvement.

Starlet

Dream Tree prevailed as the favorite in both of her starts for Bob Baffert, and War Heroine was a big – if surprising (she was an icy 8-1) – winner of her only start. But I want the battle-tested Piedi Bianchi.

Piedi Bianchi, a gaining second in the Del Mar Debutante three starts back and third after a wide trip in the Chandelier two back, was a better-than-it-looks fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies most recently. Piedi Bianchi was steadied in upper stretch (trouble that was not noted in the chart footnote or the comment line in the past performances), and she could have finished closer, but was not abused through the stretch.

As for the CashCall, McKinzie was probably the most impressive 2-year-old debut winner all year in North America, but I lean toward barnmate Solomini. Solomini was a very game second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after dueling for the early lead and gravitating toward the dead rail in the stretch.

Willa On the Move

Ms Locust Point is entered in both the Willa On the Move at Laurel and the Garland of Roses, the feature at Aqueduct. My guess is she’ll go in this spot, but I actually like her in either race.

I’ve had my eye on Ms Locust Point since she dominated the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel last New Year’s Eve. Something went amiss when she gave up a clear lead in the subsequent Forward Gal, because she was away for nine months after that, but she was a solid winner in her return at Parx Racing and is the controlling speed in either this race or the Garland of Roses.