Music City Preview: She’s So Special Ships East for Major Test

FRANKLIN, KY – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ sharp California-based turf sprinter She’s So Special ships east for her next major test in Tuesday’s $400,000 Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs that was rescheduled after the Sunday card was cancelled.

The Music City is a 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint restricted to 3-year-old fillies. This year’s edition is the final event on an 11-race card and has a local post time of 6:36 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Music City:

1. Lucrezia 12/1 – She broke her maiden while making her turf debut at Keeneland last fall but was unable to repeat that success in her lone subsequent attempt. She switches back to the grass after 5 dirt attempts (4 routing), including a pair of victories in stakes at Tampa Bay Downs: the Sandpiper and the Suncoast.

2. Outburst 20/1 – The British-bred filly arrived stateside this past winter and won 2 straight for new trainer Eddie Kenneally, including the Florida Oaks (G3). Her subsequent 2 starts were not as successful, but she was a proven turf sprinter in Europe as a juvenile and gets the services of Florent Geroux, who has won 4 of his past 11 mounts with Kenneally.

3. Mom’s Red Lipstick 30/1 – After winning 2 of 3 as a juvenile while racing on synthetic surfaces (including the Arlington Washington Lassie Stakes), she failed her lone dirt attempt in July but won her turf debut a month later. Expect sharpness in her third start after a lengthy layoff for trainer Chris Block, who’s won with 6 of his past 15 runners going route-to-sprint.

4. Bredenbury 12/1 – The Irish-bred filly got knocked around in the Coronation Cup last time out, but she won the Lady Shipman Stakes against many of those same rivals 1 race prior when getting a cleaner trip. Luis Saez stays aboard the Graham Motion trainee for the third straight race; the two men have won 6 of their past 17 mounts together.

5. Enola Gay 9/2 – She broke her maiden over this same course and distance last year while making her career debut, then kicked off her 2020 season winning the Appalachian Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. Jockey Julien Leparoux’s only 2 prior mounts resulted in both of the filly’s career wins, and he’s already won at this meet with another Shug McGaughey trainee.

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6. She’s My Type 5/1 – After putting together a 4-2-0-1 record in turf routes to start her career, she cut back to sprinting and earned back-to-back career-best Beyer Speed Figures for finishing second in the Lady Shipman (85 Beyer) and winning the Coronation Cup (91). The French-bred’s trainer, Christophe Clement, put together a 4-1-2-1 record to start this meet.

7. She’s So Special 12/1 – She’s won her last 3 turf sprints, 2 against the boys, including June’s 5 1/2-furlong Desert Code Stakes. Though jockey Flavien Prat and trainer Peter Miller each finished the recent Del Mar summer meet with the most wins in their respective divisions, neither has won at Kentucky Downs (Prat is 0-for-17, Miller 0-for-11 as of Friday).

8. Finite 8/1 – She broke her maiden over this course and distance last year, which to date remains her only attempt on turf. She subsequently won 4 straight dirt routes with eyes on the Kentucky Oaks (G1), but when that race was delayed four months, she took an extended break before resurfacing after her only off-the-board finish in March’s Fair Ground Oaks (G2).

9. Lighthouse 8/1 – She’s never missed the board when sprinting on turf, accumulating a 5-2-2-1 record that includes narrow defeats in the Sweet Life Stakes (G3) and the Daisycutter Handicap, the latter against older females. Her 2 most recent efforts earned her back-to-back career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figures, making her competitive with this field’s best.

10. Kimari 3/1 – The morning line favorite won 2 turf sprint stakes last year and finished second in both Royal Ascot starts (the 2019 Queen Mary [G2] and the 2020 Commonwealth Cup [G1]). The Munnings daughter was cross-entered in Saturday’s Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3) against older fillies and mares but will reportedly scratch in favor of this seemingly easier spot.

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11. Miss J McKay 10/1 – She crossed the wire first in each of her 3 earliest appearances, including a pair of turf sprint stakes, and has never missed the board in 7 career strats. She finished third while making her 2020 debut in the Lady Shipman, then missed by a 1/2-length in the Coronation Cup last time out, and has worked consistently well since then.

12. Hear My Prayer 30/1 – She’s won all 3 turf sprints in her career, including the Melody of Colors Stakes last time out. The speedy Florida-bred will likely try leading all the way while making her first start away from the Sunshine State with new jockey Rafael Bejarano, who won last year’s Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G3) gate to wire over this course and distance.

13. Fashionable Lady 30/1 (Also Eligible) – She broke her maiden on debut while turf sprinting at Churchill Downs last year but missed almost an entire calendar year before returning to the races. She’s yet to repeat her initial success through 3 starts this year, but trainer Michael Ewing already pulled off a 44/1 upset this meet in the More Than Ready Juvenile Stakes.

14. Evil Lyn 20/1 (Also Eligible) – After claiming her for $40k out of a 1 1/8-mile turf route at Churchill Downs, trainer Mike Maker threw her straight into the deep end and saddled her to finish fourth in the Appalachian and third (beaten a neck) in the Indiana Grand Stakes. She has tactical speed and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan piloted her to victory in both prior mounts.

15. Poseidon’s Passion 30/1 (Also Eligible) – Her resume includes 3 turf sprint victories against optional claiming rivals, with each score coming at a different track. She earned a career-best 78 Beyer Speed Figure last time out, but that number pales in comparison to what most of this field is capable of producing.

16. Lucky Jingle 30/1 (Also Eligible) – She’ll be the second runner from the Motion barn if enough scratches occur. Her trainer picked a dubious spot for her first start since finishing third in the Wait A While Stakes last November, but Motion is more than capable of saddling a winner after an extended layoff – his 21% success rate includes a healthy $2.90 ROI.