You call it: RA VS other great 3yo fillies

[Indian Charlie]

I'm glad you finally have an appreciation for Melair. Awesome awesome filly.

However, she wasn't even the 3yo filly champ from her year. While nowhere near as good as Melair, that years champion filly, Tiffany Lass, also had a pretty nice sixteen week run.

After breaking her maiden in her debut during the last week or so of her two year old year, she shipped from HP to the FG and won a low level allowance by five. Shortly after that, a nine length win in a cheap stakes.

Two or three weeks later, another three length win in a small stakes, still at the FG. Another three weeks later at the FG, another win, though only by 3/4's of length in the FG Oaks, over the pretty nice Patricia J. K., dam of future millionaire Helmsman.

Her next start was in the G1 Fantasy at Oaklawn. This saw her winning pretty easily by 2.5 over Lotka, the winner of the G1 Acorn later that year and a winner of 10 out of 20 starts and over 700k.

In her last start of this sixteen week period, and her final start of the year, she won the Kentucky Oaks over Life at the Top and Family Style. Life at the Top was a two time grade 1 winner with multiple g1 placings. Family Style was a four time grade 1 winner and the champion two year old filly the year before, having won the BC for Lukas.

For those interested, she came back at four to run three more times before retiring. She won her 4yo debut, running her record to 8 for 8, defeating useful fillies Luisant and Seldom Seen Sue. In her final two starts, she ran 2nd and third, both times to Seldom Seen Sue.

Not a bad 3yo filly by any means. She had a really solid year, though as I said, she wasn't in the same league as Melair.

[Linny]

How about Bold n' Determined? She won a listed stake called the Pasadena then ran 4th in the Santa Ynez. After that she won the G1 Santa Susana (now the SA Oaks) the G1 Fantasy, the G1 KY Oaks, the G1 Acorn and then lost the Mother Goose by a head. She followed it all up with wins in the CCAO, the Maskette, a KEE allowance (can you imagine the conditions?!!) and the G1 Spinster over her elders. She ended the year running 4th in the G1 Yellow Ribbon on grass with older f/m. She won 7 G1's at 5 different tracks. Oh, yeah, did I mention that she didn't win Champion 3yo filly? She met the champ once and beat her. The champ was Genuine Risk, but Bold N' Determined may have been a better filly.
B'N'D never took on colts but she did beat the filly that beat the boys in the biggest stage. I'm not sure how she stacks up to RA (or RA to her) but she had a year that deserves mention when talking about 3yo filly campaigns.

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

I'm glad you finally have an appreciation for Melair. Awesome awesome filly.

However, she wasn't even the 3yo filly champ from her year. While nowhere near as good as Melair, that years champion filly, Tiffany Lass, also had a pretty nice sixteen week run.

After breaking her maiden in her debut during the last week or so of her two year old year, she shipped from HP to the FG and won a low level allowance by five. Shortly after that, a nine length win in a cheap stakes.

Two or three weeks later, another three length win in a small stakes, still at the FG. Another three weeks later at the FG, another win, though only by 3/4's of length in the FG Oaks, over the pretty nice Patricia J. K., dam of future millionaire Helmsman.

Her next start was in the G1 Fantasy at Oaklawn. This saw her winning pretty easily by 2.5 over Lotka, the winner of the G1 Acorn later that year and a winner of 10 out of 20 starts and over 700k.

In her last start of this sixteen week period, and her final start of the year, she won the Kentucky Oaks over Life at the Top and Family Style. Life at the Top was a two time grade 1 winner with multiple g1 placings. Family Style was a four time grade 1 winner and the champion two year old filly the year before, having won the BC for Lukas.

For those interested, she came back at four to run three more times before retiring. She won her 4yo debut, running her record to 8 for 8, defeating useful fillies Luisant and Seldom Seen Sue. In her final two starts, she ran 2nd and third, both times to Seldom Seen Sue.

Not a bad 3yo filly by any means. She had a really solid year, though as I said, she wasn't in the same league as Melair.

Great recap of Tiffany Lass's 3yo season. I'd like to add that Life At The Top finished unplaced behind her in the FG Oaks. That was a huge race. Life At the Top had just beaten Twilight Ridge in the Las Virgenes and Patricia JK had just beaten Family Style in the Bonnie Miss. Tiffany Lass and Patricia JK moved past Life At the Top at the top of the stretch and ran together down the lane. Tiffany Lass, along the rail with Ricky Frazier aboard, finally outgamed the other filly (I think Mig was riding her) for the win.

It was unbelievable watching Tiffany Lass develop at FG that year. Laz Barrera was very high on his filly, and he sent her to his brother Angel in New Orleans to get her ready for the KY Oaks.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

Great recap of Tiffany Lass's 3yo season. I'd like to add that Life At The Top finished unplaced behind her in the FG Oaks. That was a huge race. Life At the Top had just beaten Twilight Ridge in the Las Virgenes and Patricia JK had just beaten Family Style in the Bonnie Miss. Tiffany Lass and Patricia JK moved past Life At the Top at the top of the stretch and ran together down the lane. Tiffany Lass, along the rail with Ricky Frazier aboard, finally outgamed the other filly (I think Mig was riding her) for the win.

It was unbelievable watching Tiffany Lass develop at FG that year. Laz Barrera was very high on his filly, and he sent her to his brother Angel in New Orleans to get her ready for the KY Oaks.

Yeah, that was a perplexing move by Barrera. I thought she was a pretty nice filly when she broke her maiden, and I remember wondering why she was running at the FG. I thought maybe he was ducking someone in Socal, but couldn't figure out who.

Maybe he heard about that monster 3yo filly that had been working out down in Tijuana.

Come to think of it, I think both Snow Chief and Melair were being prepped initially down in Tijuana!

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Yeah, that was a perplexing move by Barrera. I thought she was a pretty nice filly when she broke her maiden, and I remember wondering why she was running at the FG. I thought maybe he was ducking someone in Socal, but couldn't figure out who.

Maybe he heard about that monster 3yo filly that had been working out down in Tijuana.

Come to think of it, I think both Snow Chief and Melair were being prepped initially down in Tijuana!

Melair was something else. She smoked them in the Silver Screen.

The official line was that Laz wanted TL training over a deeper surface than what was out in California. FG wasn't nearly as fast back then as it is now. But I can see the Melair angle. Sort of like when Smile chased Spend A Buck from Florida.

[chucklestheclown]

I guess Eight Belles hasn't been gone long enough.

[Round Pen]

IMO Ruffian was the greatest filly to Ever Life, In think this Quote sums it up Quite Nicely. In 1975 Lucien Laurin (Secretariets Trainer) said to the Press "As God as my Witness she may be better than Secretariet."

[CSC]

I like the inclusion here of Dance Smartly, being that she raced mostly in Canada probably hurt her exposure in the U.S somewhat. She won on dirt, turf, faced males from 1 1/8 to 1 1/2 and really never was tested that entire year.

I think Pat Day who would know how good she was, when interviewed after the BC Distaff was asked where he ranked Dance Smartly with all the great fillies he has rode, he answered matter of factly 'right beside Lady's Secret' indicated her true ability.

Of note her stablemate Wilderness Song did go on to win The Gr. 1 Spinster at Keeneland that same year, which is another good barmometer of how good DS was, due to the fact she could never get within a shouting distance of Dance Smartly on the track.