Coconut Cake back to defend title in $125,000 Ladies

NRS Stable, James Chambers and Avalon Farm’s Coconut Cake got her breakthrough win in last year’s $125,000 Maryland Million Ladies, and the 6-year-mare returns Saturday attempting to become just the fifth horse and first in five years to defend its title.

Countus In (1989-91), Mz Zill Bear (1993-95), Hail Hillary (2003-04) and My Sistersledge (2017-18) each won the Ladies in back-to-back years. Monster Sleeping (2013, 2015) is also a two-time winner.

Second choice on the morning line at odds of 3-1, Coconut Cake had placed in two stakes each on the turf and dirt, and was fourth behind three-time Maryland Million winner Hello Beautiful in the 2021 Distaff, before rallying for a popular head victory in last year’s Ladies.

“Any win altogether is great. Any win on Maryland Million day is even better, especially with a horse I’ve had as long as her,” Tim Keefe said. “I bought her as a yearling, I’m co-owner and I train her, so it’s fun. It was a great race.”

Coconut Cake ran one more time in 2022, finishing third in the Forever Together at Aqueduct. Following her winter vacation she returned May 28 at historic Pimlico Race Course to be fifth in an optional claimer prior to her last-to-first move to win the six-furlong Jameela July 1 at Laurel.

“I gave her a little bit of time off and brought her back. She won the Jameela going three-quarters, which really wasn’t my ideal spot for her but it obviously turned out to be a good spot. She ran a great race,” Keefe said. “It certainly helped that the course was a little heavy and tiring. She was, as usual, lagging toward the back and came running. Sheldon [Russell] rode her perfectly and gets along great with her.”

In two subsequent starts Coconut Cake ran sixth after pressing the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Big Dreyfus July 15 and was seventh, beaten only three lengths, in the 1 1/16-mile All Brandy Aug. 19, both at Laurel.

“The biggest thing with her is getting her to relax and settle. We came back in the Big Dreyfus and she ran one of her best numbers in that the year before so I was a little disappointed in that. She just wasn’t relaxed and wasn’t settled,” Keefe said. “She’s been a little tricky that way. If she’s in the right frame of mind and everything’s great, she can relax and settle off a horse and come running, that’s her best move.”

Keefe also entered Glenangus Farm’s Proper Storm, winner of a one-mile claiming event Sept. 17 at Pimlico by 3 ¼ lengths in her most recent start. Also pre-entered in the 1 1/16-mile Turf Distaff Starter Handicap, the 5-year-old mare owns one win and one second in her only previous tries going 1 1/8 miles. 

“I think starter race probably from a competition standpoint might suit her better, but the mile and an eighth she’ll love. The farther the better for her,” Keefe said. “I talked to [owner] Jim [Dresher] and let him really decide which path he’d like to take and he decided to go in this race. She’s obviously going to be a longshot in the race but she’s training well and who knows what can happen. If it’s her day and she gets the right trip and everything’s good, I think she could be a big player in getting a piece of it.”

Smith Farm & Stable’s New Jersey homebred Precious Avary won three straight races this spring and summer at Monmouth Park capped by the one-mile Jersey Girl Handicap on turf and returns to the grass after finishing off the board in back-to-back dirt sprints. Silhouette’s Amplio Esquema takes her third straight shot at the Ladies after finishing third by less than a length last year and fourth by two lengths in 2021, both times at double-digit odds.

Beautiful Gorgeous, Downtown Katie, Golden Heart, Clouds of White and Maryland-bred also-eligibles Naval Empire and Lifelovenlaughter are also entered.

(Maryland Jockey Club press release. If there are any questions, please contact the organization that provided the release.)