Fillies prepping for April 28 Courageous Lady

The $90,000 Courageous Lady, an open event for North America's top 3-year-old filly pacers, is the first national stakes race in 2012. Scheduled for Saturday, April 28, at Northfield Park, the race has 22 fillies nominated, and some of them have been preparing for the event in impressive fashion.

 

Frontierpan has two winning qualifiers under her belt at The Meadows. The Ron Burke-trained filly's latest qualifier was on April 6, where she prevailed by 13 ¼ lengths and stopped the clock in 1:54.4. Frontierpan is owned by Peter Pan Stables of Pepper Pike, Ohio. Her 2-year-old season consisted of 14 starts and five wins. The daughter of No Pan Intended has earnings of $136,938 and a lifetime mark of 1:53.3 at Harrah's Chester.

 

Sand Latte has already won four races this year and will try to become the third Tye Loy-trained and Bill Sanders-owned filly to win the Courageous Lady. The Loy/Sanders connection won this stakes race in 2009 with Sand E Fiftyfive and again in 2010 with Sand Windsor. Sand Latte had two unsuccessful starts as a 2 year old, but her 3-year-old campaign so far shows promise. In addition to four wins, this Real Desire filly has already banked $25,760 this year and has a mark of 1:53.3 at The Meadows.

 

Sectionline Yankee is another filly with solid credentials who is heading into the Courageous Lady. This Yankee Cruiser filly is rich with Buckeye connections. She is trained at the iconic Delaware County Fairgrounds by Michael Conklin and is owned by Harold Lee Bauder and Harold L. Bauder of Delaware and Michael Dixon of Hilliard, Ohio. Sectionline Yankee's freshman campaign bankrolled $86,345; she earned a mark of 1:54.4 at Delaware. Yet to race at three, Sectionline Yankee qualified at Northfield Park on April 5 in an impressive gate-to-wire effort of 1:58.3. (Northfield Park)