The Demoiselle Stakes often reveals which juvenile fillies are ready to move forward all at once, and on Saturday at Aqueduct, Concurrently hopes to prove she’s the one coming together at exactly the right time.
The Grade 2, $250,000 event – run at a demanding 1 ⅛ miles – offers 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points and headlines a stacked card alongside the Cigar Mile (G2), Remsen Stakes (G2), Elite Power (G3), and rich NYSSS juvenile sprints.
Klaravich Stables’ Concurrently (3-1) enters off a determined maiden win at a mile on Nov. 2, pressing the pace, opening up in the stretch, and holding firm under Flavien Prat. That victory marked just her second try on dirt after a narrow loss to returning rival Believable and an educational turf debut at Saratoga.
Trainer Chad Brown believes she is starting to flourish at the right moment. “She’s really done well,” Brown said. “Once we put her on the dirt and let her develop, she’s done well. I think she’s looking for a mile and an eighth. The trip should suit her.”
Brown expects she’ll continue showing tactical speed as distances increase, a valuable asset in the long Aqueduct stretch. Prat returns from post 4, and her pedigree, by American Pharoah out of the Midnight Lute mare Dreamcall, suggests stamina to spare.
Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who has won the Demoiselle eight times, sends out a dangerous pair for Repole Stables: Zany (6-5) and Believable (5-1).
Zany debuted at Gulfstream with a flashy, front-running 6 1/2–length win, earning a field-best 76 Beyer. She showed pure sprint brilliance, and the question now is whether she can carry that speed 9 furlongs. With strong works at Palm Beach Downs and Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, she commands respect.
Believable, meanwhile, already owns a victory over Concurrently and exits a solid second in the Listed Tempted. With blinkers added and John Velazquez taking over, she brings class, stamina breeding (a full sister to Tenfold), and a grinding style that suits the Demoiselle trip.
Shilling (4-1), trained by Ken McPeek, rides a two-race win streak and wired the Tempted last out despite a bobbled start. She owns natural speed and toughness, two traits that often win the Demoiselle.
“She’s certainly got enough speed to make the pace,” McPeek said. “We’ve been more than pleased with her.” If she shakes loose early, she could make things interesting.
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Jumping the Gun (6-1) brings consistent Delaware form, including a stakes win in the Blue Hen, while Ivy Girl (15-1) enters off a mile maiden win and continues to improve for trainer Amelia
Green. Both face a steep class test but have shown enough progress to merit inclusion in deeper exotics.
Expect Shilling to go early, with Zany applying pressure and Concurrently sitting just off the pace. Believable should get an ideal midpack trip, waiting for the long Aqueduct lane to unfold.
Jenny Kellner is an award-winning journalist and teacher who has covered thoroughbred racing for years. As a reporter for both United Press International and The Associated Press, her work has appeared in publications and on websites around the world. Jenny has also written for The New York Times, the New York Post, Newsday and Sports Illustrated.
