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Porte Bonheur ends Indyanne's Victory Ride Saratoga has been dubbed the graveyard of favorites, and the historic track lived up to its moniker in Saturday's $110,100 Victory Ride S. (G3). After a stretch tussle, the 11-1 outsider PORTE BONHEUR (Hennessy) wore down 2-5 favorite Indyanne (Indian Charlie), inflicting the first career defeat on the public's choice. Trained by David Duggan and piloted by Ramon Dominguez, the chestnut filly completed six furlongs in 1:09 2/5 on the fast dirt to record her initial graded victory. Things went amiss for Indyanne from the start. Lunging at the break before getting away slowly, the hitherto unbeaten filly rushed to the fore and set a contested pace. With J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday) applying pressure, Indyanne rattled off splits of :22 and :45. The favorite shrugged off her pace rival turning into the stretch, but by this time, Porte Bonheur was mounting her rally. Although Indyanne knuckled down on the inside and tried to hang on, Porte Bonheur was too relentless to be denied and proved stronger by a half-length at the wire. Her upset was worth $24.60, $5.80 and $3.20, and it fueled the $57 exacta and $182 trifecta (6-5-4). Indyanne returned $2.70 and $2.10 for finishing three lengths ahead of Informed Decision (Monarchos), who got up for third to pay $3.10 at 6-1. Palanka City (Carson City) faded in the drive after chasing the early pace and wound up fourth, followed by J Z Warrior and Sly Storm (Storm Cat). More Happy (Vindication) and Throbbin' Heart (Smoke Glacken) were withdrawn. Campaigned by Johanna Murphy-Leopoldsberger, Porte Bonheur now brandishes a 7-4-0-1 record with $203,366 in earnings. As a juvenile, she captured the Open Mind S. at Belmont by 3 1/2 lengths, and she was coming off a two-length score in the August 2 Flanders S. at this track and trip. Porte Bonheur was bred by Gainsborough Farm in Kentucky and commanded $250,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Produced by the French Group 3-placed Sous Entendu (Shadeed), she is a half-sister to German Group 2 victor Slip Stream (Irish River [Fr]), multiple French stakes winner Banafsajee (Pleasant Colony) and Grilse (Rahy), herself the dam of the Australian Group 2-placed pair of Alverta (Flying Spur) and Star Mystic (Flying Spur). Porte Bonheur's second dam is It's in the Air (Mr. Prospector), the champion two-year-old filly of 1978, who is responsible for French Group 2 heroine Bitooh (GB) (Seattle Slew), along with stakes queens Air Dancer (Northern Dancer) and Monaassabaat (Zilzal). This is the family of Grade/Group 1 star Musical Chimes (In Excess [Ire]), winner of the 2003 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Fr-G1); multiple Grade/Group 1-winning millionaire Storming Home (GB) (Machiavellian); and current Mother Goose (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) heroine Music Note (A.P. Indy).
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