Fillies And Mares

FAIR HILL - The traditional Memorial Day racing card returns to Fair Hill in Cecil County this afternoon, and for the first time, it'll be ladies day ... for the horses. Under a recently installed National Steeplechase Association program, fillies and mares are competing exclusively against each other in stakes events, including today's Fair Hill feature, the $30,000 Valentine Memorial. Previously, to reach this purse level, trainers were forced to run their better female horses against males.

Martin Scafidi's Winning Image left no doubt about her intentions when she shot to the lead in the $100,000 Willa on the Move Stakes on Saturday. Just 1 minute, 11seconds later, she proved she was the best of six fillies and mares in the Laurel Park feature. Jose Caraballo had the ride on the 5-year-old daughter of Southern Image and slowed her nearing the finish line to win by a length and a quarter over late-rallying long shot Withgreatpleasure. Made to Love Her took third. Multiple stakes winner Red's Round Table, who left the starting gate as the betting favorite, prompted the front-runner around midstretch before giving way and finishing last.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Classy Mirage overpowered the leaders in the stretch drive and went on to a three-length victory over Spinning Round yesterday in the $81,125 Honorable Miss Stakes for older fillies and mares at Saratoga. The winner, ridden by Julie Krone, returned $4.20, $2.80 and $2.60.

A year ago, Shared Account arrived at Churchill Downs for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf as an outsider. Oddsmakers made her a 46-1 long shot, and her response was to win. This year, she's back to defend her title in the $2 million Grade I race. Do the oddsmakers love her? Not exactly. They've given her 30-1 morning-line odds, a fact that has Sagamore Farm general manager Tom Mullikin sending out a warning. "The field is deep, and it's another tough ask of her," Mullikin said.

LAUREL -- Laurel Race Course presents its Thanksgiving program today with the traditional early post time and giveaways.First post for the 10-race card is 10:30. Gates open at 9, with free doughnuts, coffee, and hot cider available for patrons arriving by the first race. Also, holiday pies will be given away with each paid admission and can be picked up after the seventh race.The Straight Deal Handicap for older fillies and mares is the featured ninth race. Devilish Touch is a solid favorite in the seven-furlong race for fillies and mares.

Today: Bill Mott seldom sends a horse to Maryland, but his talented 5-year-old mare Feasibility Study is the likely favorite in the $75,000 Maryland Racing Writers' Handicap for fillies and mares. Her main threat in the 1 1/8 -mile race is the Maryland-bred Miss Slewpy, which Feasibility Study dispatched Jan. 4 at Aqueduct.Postponed last weekend because of freezing weather, the $75,000 1 1/8 -mile Native Dancer Handicap showcases top older horses Devil's Honor, Richie The Coach and Western Echo.

Search For A Cure won the $50,000 Squan Song Stakes yesterday at Laurel Park, beating 10 other Maryland-bred fillies and mares. While Darnestown and Bamba dueled for most of the race, jockey Jeremy Rose had Search For A Cure well-placed off the pace. Rose swung wide at the top of the stretch and got up in the final yards to score by a half length, covering the seven furlongs in 1 minute, 25.15 seconds. Darnestown was second.

Nine 3-year-old fillies are slated to run today in Pimlico's first turf race of the year, the $50,000 1 1/16-mile Lady Dean Stakes. Tomorrow, older fillies and mares try the turf in the $30,000 one-mile Searching Stakes.The likely favorite in the Lady Dean is the entry owned by Lazy Lane Farms and trained by Graham Motion. The entry is made up of Silent Greeting and Top Ends Up. Both won their last race, which was on dirt.Pub Date: 4/27/96

TodayFairy Song is the only member of the field bringing a winning race into the April Run Stakes. Ten fillies and mares have passed the entry box in the $50,000-added event, which will be over a mile and a half on the grass. Lightly raced Fairy Song had been absent from action for nearly a year when coming from off the pace to score a 5 1/2-length victory over allowance company at Garden State Park.She'll be thoroughly tested by Bundling, a locally trained mare who has been doing the bulk of her racing on the New York circuit.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. -- The final leg of the the 1991 Fillies and Mares Starter Handicap Series and a simulcast of the $250,000 Bay Meadows Handicap highlight tonight's 12-race card at the Charles Town Races.In the distaff starter handicap, the eighth race on Charles Town's program, William Bayne, Jr.'s Crystal City Go Go and David Winpigler, Sr.'s Versatile Keys head a field of nine fillies and mares at a mile and a quarter. In the point standings to determine the leading trainer of the series, Versatile Keys (Jeff Runco)

Laurel Park Six fillies and mares set for today's $75K Conniver Stakes Today's $75,000 Conniver Stakes at Laurel Park features six evenly matched Maryland-bred fillies and mares who have combined for 35 victories, including 14 stakes races, for nearly $1.4 million in earnings. Five Diamonds has been established as the 9-5 favorite when they go seven furlongs in this weekend's feature. The daughter of Flatter has finished first or second in 10 of her 12 starts for the John Salzman Jr. barn.

1 Put a hundred: down ... : For tonight's game, the Boise State Broncos (left) got on their bus and serenaded the driver: "Do you know the way to San Jose State?" (9, ESPN2). 2 Fillies fever: The first day of the Breeders' Cup from Santa Anita features fillies and mares (3:30 p.m. ESPN2). 3 To Cav and Cav not: As the regular season approaches, the Wizards face Cleveland to be reminded they don't want the Cavaliers in the playoffs (8 p.m., Comcast SportsNet). 4 Top-five matchup: This football game might knock leaves off the trees faster: No. 2 Loyola at No. 5 Gilman (3:30 p.m.)

The snow held off long enough yesterday to allow Laurel Park to finally introduce its new dirt track - officially. Racing resumed Wednesday at Laurel after a 10-month hiatus to allow for the $20 million reconstruction of the dirt racing surface and other track upgrades. But the official "grand reopening," delayed one week because of last weekend's snowstorm, took place yesterday in front of 7,448 patrons, according to the track estimate. The crowd seemed larger, as most areas of the track were packed.

Silmaril, a mud-splattered, 3-year-old filly, defeated older horses for the second time this year when she captured the $100,000 Geisha Handicap yesterday at Pimlico. After racing fifth down the backstretch, Silmaril barged between horses around the far turn and commandeered a comfortable lead down the homestretch. She won the 1 1/8 -mile stakes for Maryland-bred fillies and mares by 1 1/4 lengths on a soaked track rated "sloppy." "I've liked this filly ever since she walked into the barn," said Chris Grove, her trainer at Bowie.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - When Azeri was withdrawn from last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff five days before the race, she seemed on her way to retirement. Laura de Seroux, her California trainer, said she'd injured a tendon and shouldn't have to race again. But this year, Azeri not only returned to racing for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas but also became North America's richest female thoroughbred of all time. Tomorrow, she will attempt to become the first filly or mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic when the eight Cup races take place at Lone Star Park outside Dallas.

FAIR HILL - The traditional Memorial Day racing card returns to Fair Hill in Cecil County this afternoon, and for the first time, it'll be ladies day ... for the horses. Under a recently installed National Steeplechase Association program, fillies and mares are competing exclusively against each other in stakes events, including today's Fair Hill feature, the $30,000 Valentine Memorial. Previously, to reach this purse level, trainers were forced to run their better female horses against males.

Search For A Cure won the $50,000 Squan Song Stakes yesterday at Laurel Park, beating 10 other Maryland-bred fillies and mares. While Darnestown and Bamba dueled for most of the race, jockey Jeremy Rose had Search For A Cure well-placed off the pace. Rose swung wide at the top of the stretch and got up in the final yards to score by a half length, covering the seven furlongs in 1 minute, 25.15 seconds. Darnestown was second.