Terranova Bullish on Fast Market in Pebbles Stakes

Hit The Bid Racing Stable's Fast Market exited the summer racing season as a maiden, having gone winless in her first eight starts. But she could end the fall as a graded stakes winner. The John Terranova trainee, much improved in a pair of starts since blinkers were removed from her racing equipment, is the likely favorite against five other 3-year-old fillies in the $175,000 Pebbles Stakes (G3T) Nov. 16 at Aqueduct Racetrack. In two starts this autumn, she broke her maiden stylishly Sept. 18 at Aqueduct over a mile trip before stepping up into graded company and finishing a hard-charging second, beaten a neck by Ready for Candy Oct. 18 Sands Point Stakes (G3T) over a longer 1 1/8-mile distance on the grass. "She is a talented filly; it just took a little while to figure everything out with her," Terranova said. "Thankfully, she cooperated. Mentally, physically, everything about her is solid and classy." With Ready for Candy bypassing the Pebbles—fifth-place Paradise City is the only other Sands Point competitor to return—Fast Market, a bay daughter of Volatile, is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in Sunday's one-mile turf race, ahead of recent allowance winner Peak Hype at 2-1. Besides Fast Market, three others in the Pebbles have earned graded back type, all with stakes placings: Paradise City, It Ain't Two (GB), and Correto. It Ain't Two also won an ungraded stakes race in Britain a little more than a year ago.