UGR's $10,000 Mardi Gras Floridian Stakes Analysis
By: Clint Locklear
$10,000 Floridian, scheduled as the eighth on a nice race evening card, will go off Friday night at Mardi Gras. Also carded are two grade A sprint races. In the fourth, Smoked Em will try and light it up from the seven hole and in the sixth race, Mo's Real McCoy goes for seven in a row from box three.
Floridian Preview
1. WTD SUGARLAND
61 lb. Female (DK's Prime Time - WTD Memphis Beat)
Kennel: Joe Trudden (Brad Holomek, trainer)
Owner: N. Rader & B. Brookman
MG Record: 23/5-3-5-4
This one has the pedigree as her dam is a littermate to WTD Country Gold, a 2005 All-American and dual distance stakes performer. After a brief appearance at Palm Beach, the connections sent Sugarland to Mardi Gras to break her maiden. She showed early on that she appreciated the added distance. Shortly thereafter, she made her 3/8ths debut a winning one by wiring a grade C group easily. After testing the best at that distance in the American Derby (in which she was a semi-finalist) the twenty-four month old took on another challenge going into the Floridian. Sugarland is still young with upside, so the potential to quickly improve with a career best race is possible. She faces a stiff challenge. She put together a decent qualifying record, but her lone win came in a six dog field over a group that failed to make the Final. She has more of a late kick at shorter distances, but can close some at 770. At this distance, she'd rather be on the lead or just off the pace.
Bottom Line: Interesting from the rail. Has speed to make the lead and from that point she could be tough. Needs to step up in a big way, she'll have long odds.
Longshot.