The half-million-dollar Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes assembled a noteworthy group of 2-year-old female horses, all prepared to participate in the one-mile, Grade 1 turf contest at Woodbine. This race offers an automatic entry, securing a spot for the victor in the Oct. 31 John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
A leading competitor includes #10 Deep Learning, a promising filly from the stables of Chad Brown. The Cairo Prince offspring commenced her racing journey on Aug. 8 in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight event at Saratoga. After establishing a position in the latter portion of the pack, she showcased impressive speed, covering her final quarter-mile in :23.13, surpassing the leaders to secure a victory by 3 1/4 lengths.
Deep Learning’s remarkable conclusion at Saratoga positions her as a plausible contender for victory in the Natalma, however, #5 Dance To The Music presents a significant challenge hailing from across the Atlantic.
Dance To The Music remains undefeated, with two victories under the guidance of trainer Charlie Appleby, who has previously secured two Natalma wins with La Pelosa (2018) and Wild Beauty (2021). Dance To The Music achieved a sprint victory in her initial career race at Newmarket in England by a length. Subsequently, she ascended in class for Newmarket’s Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes, maintaining a forward position throughout the race, ultimately winning by a neck.
Notably, both La Pelosa and Wild Beauty utilized the Sweet Solera as a preparation for the Natalma, achieving second-place finishes. Dance To The Music, therefore, demonstrates superior qualifications compared to her stablemates. She possesses a strong prospect of securing a third Natalma victory for Appleby.
It is suggested that bettors consider an exacta box wager, anticipating Deep Learning and Dance To The Music to secure the top two positions in either sequence. There is a high degree of confidence that these two talented fillies will distinguish themselves from their rivals; however, predicting the ultimate victor remains challenging.
For those prepared to allocate additional funds and seek larger payouts, consideration should be given to trifecta and superfecta wagers, incorporating #1 Corsia Veloce, #3 Sweet Fusion, and #6 Hot Mash for the remaining positions.
Corsia Veloce and Sweet Fusion exhibited strong performances, finishing first and second, respectively, in a rapid edition of the Catch a Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine in the preceding month. Conversely, Hot Mash is coming off a convincing 7 3/4-length debut victory at Ellis Park, during which she applied pressure to swift early pace fractions of :20.27 and :42.64.
Guidance for Betting with a $10 Budget
$5 exacta box: 5,10 (total expenditure: $10)
Verbal Instructions for Teller: Woodbine, Race 8, $5 exacta box 5,10
Guidance for Betting with a $30 Budget
$6 exacta: box 5,10 (total expenditure: $12)
Verbal Instructions for Teller: Woodbine, Race 8, $6 exacta box 5,10
$1.80 trifecta: 5,10 with 5,10 with 1,3,6 (total expenditure: $10.80)
Verbal Instructions for Teller: Woodbine, Race 8, $1.80 trifecta 5,10 with 5,10 with 1,3,6
$0.60 superfecta: 5,10 with 5,10 with 1,3,6 with 1,3,6 (total expenditure: $7.20)
Verbal Instructions for Teller: Woodbine, Race 8, $0.60 superfecta 5,10 with 5,10 with 1,3,6 with 1,3,6
Best of luck, and have a great time at the races!
