Kalookan Queen Preview: Biddy Duke Makes Speedy Return

ARCADIA, CA – Trainer Doug O’Neill’s fleet-footed Biddy Duke makes a speedy 2-week return to the races for Sunday’s $75,000 Kalookan Queen Stakes.

The Kalookan Queen is a 6 1/2-furlong dirt sprint restricted to fillies and mares ages 4 and up. This year’s edition is the penultimate event on a 9-race card and has a local post time of 4:00 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Kalookan Queen:

1. Amuse 5/2 – The Richard Mandella trainee takes a slight class drop after finishing second in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) and third in the Chillingworth Stakes (G3) last time out. Unseen since that late September start, The Medaglia d’Oro mare fired a 3-furlong work in a bullet best-of-9 35 seconds flat as a screw-tightener for her first race in over 3 months.

2. Biddy Duke 7/2 – She sheds the blinkers for the first time in 11 starts, though nobody expects the ultra-fast filly to sit back and watch an early pace unfold. O’Neill succeeds 14% of the time when removing the hood, which may help her settle a bit better after she set the pace and faded to eighth in the 7-furlong La Brea Stakes (G1) here on December 26.

3. Qahira 2/1 – She nearly went gate to wire in the Chillingworth over this course and distance, eventually yielding late and finishing second. She showed grit and determination to fend off Amuse by a neck, especially since that came in her stakes debut. Her 4 career wins all came at or near this distance and she was riding a 3-race roll heading into the Chillingworth.

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4. Acting Out 5/1 – She steps up to the stakes ranks for the first time after handily defeating optional claimers by 5 lengths while covering 5 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos. She also easily beat optional claimers in a 5-furlong Del Mar turf sprint in her start prior, and Abel Cedillo rides for the third straight time. Expect to see her pressing the pace from the get-go.

5. Dynasty of Her Own 12/1 – Her 2021 debut marks her first start since finishing a well-beaten fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Oaks (G3) last July 5, her first off-the-board effort in 6 career starts. She won 2 straight sprints to start her career, then took 2 straight routes on Golden Gate’s synthetic. Trainer Jonathan Wong and jockey Ricky Gonzalez hit at 27% together.

6. Mo See Cal 7/2 – She gives open company stakes a try for the first time after defeating her fellow California-breds in the 7-furlong Betty Grable Stakes 2 starts back. She finished a fading sixth in a Del Mar turf mile against open company optional claimers but should appreciate returning to what might be her better surface. Trainer Peter Miller began the meet hot (22-7-2-2).

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