RACE HONORS DAM OF 1989 WHITTINGHAM-TRAINED HORSE OF THE YEAR SUNDAY SILENCE

 

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2022)–In what appears to be wide-open affair at 6 ½ furlongs out of Santa Anita’s turf chute, three talented distaffers, Nick Alexander’s homebred Alice Marble, Holly and David Wilson’s Hear My Prayer and Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Thrilling all figure prominently among a field of seven older fillies and mares in the $75,000 Wishing Well Stakes on Saturday.

The Wishing Well is named for the multiple graded stakes winning dam of the Charlie Whittingham-trained Sunday Silence, who was crowned Eclipse Award Horse of the Year in 1989.

A 5-year-old California-bred mare by Grazen, Alice Marble comes off a big second to her front-running stablemate Leggs Galore going about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint on Jan. 15.  Attentive to the pace, Alice Marble was beaten by 2 ¼ lengths by Leggs Galore who was simply gone on the lead.

Although beaten, Alice Marble finished 2 ½ lengths clear of Eddie’s New Dream and nearly three lengths in front of multiple graded stakes winner Warren’s Showtime in a huge effort.  Lightly raced, Alice Marble, who is trained by Phil D’Amato, seeks her first stakes win as she faces open company in what will be her ninth career start.

A winner of three out of her five starts with D’Amato, Alice Marble, who is out of Alexander’s More Than Ready mare Unsung Heroine, is winless in four tries on turf, but her third place run three starts back going five furlongs on grass at Del Mar July 31 and her second place finish here on Jan. 15 certainly suggest that the lawn is no issue.

With three wins from eight starts, including an open allowance score going 5 ½ furlongs on dirt two starts back at Los Alamitos Dec. 9, she has earnings of $159,560 and will be ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado, as regular rider Flavien Prat is riding out of town.

Third, beaten 1 ½ lengths going 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in the Grade III Las Cienegas Stakes Jan. 9, the Vladimir Cerin-trained Hear My Prayer could be the quickest horse in the field.  First early in the Las Cienegas through splits of 21.80 and 44 flat, this 5-year-old Florida-bred by the Yes It’s true stallion The Big Beast tired late as the 8-5 favorite.

Based through her first nine starts at Gulfstream Park, Hear My Prayer stalked the pace in her Southern California debut three starts back, a half length win in a five furlong turf allowance at Del Mar on Aug. 26.  Off at 2-1 from the rail in the nine-horse Senator Ken Maddy Stakes going the same distance on Nov. 5 at Del Mar, she stumbled leaving the gate, was shuffled back to last but rallied well to be third, beaten three quarters of a length in a big effort.  She’ll be ridden for the fourth consecutive time by Juan Hernandez.

A two-time ungraded stakes winner sprinting on turf at Gulfstream, Hear My Prayer is in top form and may well go favored as she seeks her sixth win from 13 overall starts.  Out of the Songandaprayer mare Additional Prayer, she has earnings of $230,975.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Thrilling, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Uncle Mo, enters the Wishing Well on a roll as she seeks her third consecutive win.

Raced exclusively on turf, winning three of her six starts, Thrilling, who was off at the 8-5 favorite, stalked the early pace coming down the hillside turf, opened up by 2 ½ lengths in mid-stretch and prevailed by three quarters of a length in a second condition allowance on Jan. 7 with Flavien Prat up.

Unbeaten in two tries out of Santa Anita’s turf chute, she was head and head for the early lead going six furlongs two starts back on Oct. 30, opened up by two lengths and held on to win by a nose as the even money favorite under Umberto Rispoli, who is back aboard on Saturday.

In her other try out of the turf chute, Thrilling, in her career debut on May 31, 2021, prevailed by three quarters of a length in an impressive gate to wire performance.  Purchased for $200,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling in 2019, Thrilling who is out of the Galileo mare Together, can be counted upon to press or make the early Wishing Well lead.

THE WISHING WELL WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9                                                                                                                Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

 

1. Thrilling–Umberto Rispoli–122
2. Stella Noir–Drayden Van Dyke–120
3. Dynasty of Her Own–Ricardo Gonzalez
4. Alice Marble–Edwin Maldonado–122
5. Spirit of Bermuda–Tyler Baze–122
6. Tapwater–Joe Bravo–122
7. Hear My Prayer–Juan Hernandez–124

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m.