Eifel
02-22-2006, 08:20 PM
I like to bet maiden races and one of the thing I like to see is a horse out of a mare that has produced stakes winners. Everybody looks at the sire and forgets about the mare. The sire can give you clues about the horse, do his runners win early, like grass, like routes, sprints, etc. But I think the mare is just as important if not more than the sire. Just this Sunday Mott had a 3yo Filly named Fantastic Shirl (Fantastic Light - Lady Shirl) make her first start. Her mare Lady Shirl produced Shakespeare one of the best grass horses in the country last year. You would have thought this half sister to Shakespeare would have been the favoite but she wasn't. She romped by almost 4 lenghts at 4-1. I have no clue why she wasn't the favorite. Earlier at the meet I won with Loconia at 10-1 on the grass, this horse was a full brother to TD Vance. TD Vance was one of the better 3yo's on the grass last year and won a couple of stakes races. So don't overlook the mare when handicapping a maiden race. With this in mind watch out for Grey Mountain a full brother to Honey Ryder (multiple stakes winner for Pletscher) at maiden races at Gulfstream or Tampa.