May 22, 2025
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
Target Acquired
Winless at the stakes ranks across four uneven attempts, Marksman Queen (GB) shoots for a change of fortune in Saturday’s $250,000 Keertana at Churchill Downs.
After an uninspiring eighth in her stakes debut last March (Latonia), the 5-year-old mare showed promise in take number two, finishing third in November’s Red Carpet (G3).
Marksman Queen capped off her 2024 campaign with a respectable third in the Via Borghese Stakes on Boxing Day.
The new year has been a different story, however. A 10th in her season debut – the La Prevoyante (G3) – was followed by a fourth last time out on Apr. 18.
On the bright side, no other horse in the field of eight stands out from the rest. Suddenly, 6-1 opening line odds sound pretty enticing.
One Ticket to Paradise (Creek)
Winner of two in a row, Supersonic Blue ships from Santa Anita (California) to Aqueduct (New York) for Saturday’s $150,000 Paradise Creek.
The six-furlong affair for turf sprinters looks like the logical next step for the 3-year-old gelding after a successful string of starts, headlined by a gate-to-wire tally in the 6 ½-furlong John Shear Stakes on Apr. 6 at 8-1.
While horseplayers won’t be privy to such generous odds in the Paradise Creek – Supersonic Blue opens at 9-2 – the Flavien Prat mount’s recent performance certainly warranted a rise in status.
Supersonic Blue takes to post seven for the nine-horse dash.
The Cat’s Meow
Coming off his first career stakes score in April’s Echo Eddie, Style Cat faces an entirely different challenge in Saturday’s $125,000 Snow Chief at Santa Anita.
Last time out, the 3-year-old gelding galloped to a smooth 2 ¼-length triumph over 6 ½ furlongs on the dirt. This time around, Style Cat will stretch out to 1 1/8 miles and do so over the Santa Anita turf.
The surface switch shouldn’t be too strong of a sticking point, as the Peter Miller trainee competed and won on the turf in a statebred allowance on Dec. 1. That said, the victory came at 5 furlongs.
Oddsmakers don’t appear concerned about the shift, listing Style Cat as the early 5-2 choice over fellow feline foe, Cali Cat (3-1).
Read the Signs
Hall of Fame trainer Claude McGaughey III has seen a thing or two over his illustrious racing career, so it should have come as no surprise that his decision to move Signator off the dirt was a prudent one.
While the 5-year-old colt has yet to live up to his premium $1.7 million price tag, he’s on the right track with two straight turf triumphs to begin 2025.
Fresh off his first stakes victory last time out in the Henry Clark, Signator can continue his ascent on Saturday afternoon in the $100,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes at Monmouth.
Signator enters the 1 1/16-mile turf contest as the fourth choice in the field of nine, tied with There Are No Words, at 5-1.
No Fault
Seismic Beauty rumbles into Santa Anita on Sunday afternoon for the $200,000 Margarita (G2) after landing in the money in all five lifetime starts to date.
The impressive display at the lower levels earned the 4-year-old filly a promotion straight to the Grade 2 tier, passing the standard stakes ranks altogether.
The aggressive decision was seemingly prompted by a dazzling 10-length tally last time out, in which Seismic Beauty led handily from start to finish.
She is one of two hopefuls trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert, who has won the Margarita four times, including the past two editions.
