Bootylicious looks good for Portmore Stakes

Prepping for Saturday's Portmore Stakes at seven and a half furlongs, BOOTYLICIOUS galloped six furlongs in 1:15.0 two Sundays ago, the best she has ever trained for a race since debuting last November, spelling trouble for her all-but-one exposed rivals as she goes for four wins in a row.

The unknown quality in the line-up is PRINCESS SHARON, who won by a four-and-a-quarter length at seven furlongs on debut a month ago. PRINCESS SHARON's 1:28.1 had a classy look about it, which could make her a dangerous horse at a mile in the 1000 Guineas, considering she is a Soul Warrior-sired filly.

However, the speed of multiple-winner BOOTYLICIOUS and friends will hit PRINCESS SHARON like a bolt of lightning, giving her too much to do against faster and more experienced rivals.

Stablemates MAMMA MIA and THALITA have thrown down flashy exercise gallops such as 1:06.3 and 1:06.0 for five and a half furlongs, respectively, clocked two Mondays ago, ahead of Saturday's Portmore Stakes at seven and a half furlongs.

Though MAMMA MIA and THALITA were not as braggadocios at exercise heading into the Thornbird Stakes, they were outclassed in the April 8 event by BOOTYLICIOUS, not outsped, a fact which flashy gallops won't change with an additional half-furlong to travel in the Portmore Stakes.

It can only get worse for the fillies lined up against BOOTYLICIOUS. Reporting off a three-month break for her seasonal debut, February 18, BOOTYLICIOUS galloped a half-mile in 51.3 six days before the event. With one race under her girth, a 15-length win from November 5, the speedy filly showed a little ring rust in clocking 1:14.1 for six furlongs, beating BURLAP.

Brought back seven weeks later for the Thornbird Stakes against rivals who had the full gamut of top two-year-old races under their belts from last season, including the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, BOOTYLICIOUS stalked and sprinted away from MAMMA MIA and THALITA at the top of the lane - after putting in a measly five-furlong gallop in 1:01.0 out the mile chute six days earlier.