The Grade 3, $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes this Saturday at Santa Anita Park brings together a field of seven fillies and mare turf sprinters, four of which have won their most recent race or the race just prior to it.
Among the group, Magic at Midnight will very likely be in front from the start given that she has lead decisively after a quarter mile has been run in all four career starts to date, winning all four although none were stakes. Among the horses proven at stakes level, Jo Jo Air leads the group as she won the similar Daisycutter Stakes in July at Del Mar. Aqua Seaform Shame and Biddy Duke have also run well at the level as they finished second and third, respectively, in the Unzip Me Stakes, restricted to just three year olds, last month over the course. An Eddie Surprise won the Wishing Well Stakes at the distance on the Santa Anita turf in her most recent race, eight months ago in February. Lakerball has been running in longer races throughout most of her career, but is winless since taking the Pike Place Dancer Stakes at Golden Gate in the fall of 2018. Zee Drop cuts back in distance after a fourth place finish in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes last month.
Jo Jo Air is definitely the most accomplished filly in the field in turf sprints, winning four from 12 races. Two of those were stakes victories and the most recent of that pair was the best race of her career. That came in the Daisycutter Stakes at Del Mar in July where she rallied from third and earned a 111 Equibase Speed Figure which was not only a career-best but the best in the field. Jo Jo Air then went to Pimlico to contest The Very One Stakes and apparently did not care for the soft turf, finishing sixth as the heavy favorite. Shipping back out from trainer Wesley Ward's home base in Kentucky into California for this race the same way she did for the Daisycutter and running on much firmer ground than compared to the Very One Stakes, Jo Jo Air could likely return to the form shown this summer and win the Ken Maddy Stakes.
Magic at Midnight will have to be caught as its obvious where she will be in the early stages. Having led by a length and one-half or more by the time a quarter mile has been run in all four of her races to date, and never looking back from there, Magic at Midnight could prove very brave on the front end once again. The only time she ran on turf, in August at Del Mar, Magic at Midnight earned a 103 figure, but that effort came off an 11 month layoff and so better still is possible.
An Eddie Surprise leads the field in career earnings at $341,952 and has won five of 20 races on turf in her career. Most of those were allowance level races, and she has nine runner-up finishes to go along with the five wins. Still, when last seen she won the Wishing Well Stakes at the distance of the Ken Maddy Stakes on the turf course at Santa Anita. That effort earned a 106 figure which is the second best in the field and if she can fire off the bench she could have a strong say in the outcome.
The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Aqua Seaform Shame (104), Biddy Duke (103), Lakerball (102) and Zee Drop (103).
Win Contenders:
Jo Jo Air
Magic at Midnight
An Eddie Surprise
Senator Ken Maddy Stakes – Grade 3
Race 8 at Santa Anita
Saturday, October 24 – Post Time 7:30 PM E.T.
Five and One-Half Furlongs on Turf
Fillies and Mares, 3-Year-Olds and Upward
Purse: $100,000
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