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Gotta Have Her crowned in Royal Heroine Mile
"I got shut off really bad right out of the gate and after that I just had to go out there and ride the rest of the race with confidence," Baze said. "I know she's going to give me what she has...whatever's in her tank, she's always going to give it. She always has and she always will. I followed (Rafael) Bejarano's horse (U R All That I Am) the whole way really until the middle of the turn when I kind of pushed her out of the way." Sent off the even-money favorite, Gotta Have Her paid $4.20, $2.80 and $2.10 for finishing one mile on the firm turf in 1:34 4/5. Burg Berg was game in defeat, coming back along the rail to just miss and return $6 and $2.80 at 8-1. U R All That I Am was worth $2.20 as the 7-5 second pick for finishing one length in front of Rosey de Megeve. Spring Style and Exquisite (NZ) (Golan [Ire]) completed the order under the wire. The $1 exotics totaled $14 (exacta), $27.20 (trifecta) and $102.40 (2-5-1-3 superfecta). Gotta Have Her is no stranger to the winner's circle, now boasting a 27-9-7-4 career mark to go along with $972,608 in lifetime earnings. The bay mare placed in the Providencia S. (G3) and China Doll S. as a sophomore before finally breaking through with a first stakes win in the Harold C. Ramser Sr. H.. Gotta Have Her continued to record placings in black-type events as a four-year-old, running second in the Palomar H. (G2) and Dahlia H. (G2), but had her breakout year last season. The turf runner captured the 2009 Palomar, Las Cienegas H. (G3) and Senator Ken Maddy H. (G3) while registering placings in the likes of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint against the boys, John C. Mabee S. (G1), Tuzla H. (G3) and this particular race. In her two starts prior to the Royal Heroine this season, the stakes veteran finished third in the Las Cienegas and a close sixth in the Gamely S. (G1) to Tuscan Evening (Ire) (Oasis Dream [GB]). "She's a very special mare for me and I'm looking forward to bigger and better things with her," Baze said. "She got a lot out of her last race (in the Gamely). It's asking a lot to go from 6 1/2 furlongs to a mile and an eighth against Tuscan Evening. We're ready for a rematch. Bring her on." "She needs an ideal setup to go a mile and one-eighth (Gamely) to be honest," Sahadi admitted. "Her last race was a little bit my fault; bad weather and not much out of the first race. Today was crunch time. I felt good, I didn't have any issues going into today. Not physical issues, it's just that it was hard to train this winter. She was really tired out of the last race and you just wonder sometimes if you turn them out whether they're going to come back the same. I'm very happy with her race today. "We're going to Del Mar and most likely run in the (August 15) Mabee. She ran second in the race last year and likes that turf course. The plan is the Mabee and then possibly the Palomar (on September 6)." Bred in Kentucky by Nursery Place and Robert T. Manfuso, Gotta Have Her is out of the unraced Winnowing (Rahy) and counts as half-siblings dual stakes-placed Haka Girl (War Chant) and an unnamed yearling filly by Hard Spun. Winnowing is herself a half-sister to Grade 2 heroine Lady Blessington (Fr) (Baillamont), French Group 3 victor Lowell (General Holme) and multiple stakes queen Red Cat (Storm Cat). This is the same family as Group 3 winner Lady Vettori (Vettori), who is the dam of this year's French Two Thousand Guineas (Fr-G1) and Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) (Fr-G1) king Lope de Vega (Shamardal) as well as Group 3 victress Bal de la Rose (Cadeaux Genereux). Others of note in this line include French champion *La Mirambule (Coaraze); Nasram (*Nasrullah), winner of the 1964 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S.; and Tambourine (*Princequillo), the 1962 Irish Derby scorer. Gotta Have Her, who sold for $300,000 as a Keeneland September yearling to her connections, also counts as a relation Royal Heroine fourth Rosey de Megeve, who is a half-sister to Lady Vettori.
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