Betting With, and Against, Super Quick in the Groupie Doll Stakes

A total of 11 fillies and mares will travel one mile on the Ellis Park dirt in Sunday’s $125,000 Groupie Doll S.

One of five stakes races on the big day of racing, the affair is led by Grade 3 heroine #2 Super Quick (5-2), who comes off a strong runner-up try in the Fleur de Lis S. (G2) at Churchill Downs last time out.

Trained by Norm Casse, the four-year-old bay showed vast improvement last campaign and that fine form has carried into 2022, as she has strung together a trio of very good tries at the graded stakes level in succession.

The daughter of Super Saver has big early foot and has proven to be capable of carrying it over a route of ground, and she will be very tough to run down on the class drop if she receives a favorable voyage. Regular pilot Joe Talamo will be up.

#1 Four Graces (9-2) gets a cozy rail draw for her first try at Ellis Park for conditioner Ian Wilkes. The Grade 3 queen doesn’t win all that often, as evidenced by her nine setbacks in succession, but the five-year-old has been facing some top-level foes for some time and seems like an ideal fit in this endeavor.

A fine second in the Derby City Distaff (G1) two back, the mare has been training forwardly off the short layoff and will save ground throughout with Julien Leparoux in the stirrups.

The well-related #10 Salute the Flag (10-1) takes a fairly big class rise in the event, but her recent allowance win beneath the Twin Spires impressed me, and I like the forward curve that the daughter of Curlin has been on since removing blinkers three back.

The chestnut four-year-old has finished first or second in each of her four assignments this season, and the late runner could receive a swift pace to rally into, which will aid her late kick. She has some longshot appeal to me.

#5 Jilted Bride (4-1) has won or placed in 18 of 19 lifetime appearances to date and earned a career-best 98 Brisnet Speed figure in her most recent performance. The Wicked Strong five-year-old is a top-three must use under Brian Hernandez, Jr.

Super Quick – With

• $1 superfecta: 2 with 1, 5, 10 with 1, 5, 10 with all ($48)

Super Quick – Against

• 50-cent trifecta: 1, 5, 10 with 1, 2, 5, 10 with all ($40.50)