Drive for Five

Tweet Bella Cavello Stables' star mare La Chica Rica goes for five in a row on Friday night (8:23pm) under the lights at Penn National in the Day Lilly Stakes (non-graded). This looks to be the toughest test she's faced in 2008 since finishing third behind millionaire Silmaril and the stakes-winning All Giving in the Whatasummer at Laurel Park in January. She's gone off as the even money favorite in three of the last four races and was still at 1.3-1 when she was second choice three races back. She changes venues from her Mountaineer and stretches out a bit to 6 furlongs. All those factors have her as the 7-2 Morning Line second choice behind Jet Away Jane (5-2 ML), who is coming off a second place finish at Presque Isle Downs in a $74K non-graded stakes race behind Mac N Mayo (who won her next race). Look for her to jump out early and duel with Circuit Breaker or My Sister Sue and try to hold off Jet Away Jane who will look to close late.

A win here would extend the winning streak to five and put Chica over the $400K lifetime earnings mark. Eric Camacho gets the ride for trainer Crystal Pickett. La Chica is 10-7-4 in 32 lifetime starts (by Disco Rico out of Colonial Conquest) and was bred by High Five Stables (is that an omen?). You can obtain the past performances for this race at the TBA site located here under non-graded stakes pps for the Day Lilly S - PEN. Good luck Chica! If you want to bet the races online go to this horse betting site.

(Update from the ownership group: "Sorry to report we are going to scratch her tonight. She's a little under the weather and needs to be at 100% for a group like this!" We'll keep you posted regarding where she's pointing to next.) (Update #2: Jet Away Jane closed late to win by 1 3/4 lengths)

Congrats to the Bella Cavello Stables team for Monday's win with Neon Nights ($8.80) at Colonial Downs in a $8,500 claimer turf sprint. It looks like jockey K. Crews rode a beautiful race after angling out six wide in mid stretch and closed steadily while taking command at the sixteenth pole per the chart notes.