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Briecat wires Las Palmas

Briecat would not be denied in the Las Palmas (Benoit Photos) Holly and David Wilson's BRIECAT (Adcat) broke on top from her rail post in Sunday's $150,000 Las Palmas H. (G2) on Oak Tree's closing day and never looked back en route to a neck victory in the one-mile turf contest. Jockey Patrick Valenzuela meted out the chestnut mare's speed through splits of :24 1/5, :47 4/5, 1:11 and 1:22 4/5, holding just enough in reserve to withstand the late runs of Westwood Pride (Pleasantly Perfect) and Turning Top (Ire) (Pivotal) on the wire. "She paced her own pace and picked it up nice on the turn," Valenzuela said. "I think she won it on the turn when she got away from the horses because when she picked it up everybody else had to pick it up. Through the stretch they didn't have as much finish when she did that. She stuck her head down and fought them off." Sent off the 13-1 fifth pick in the eight-distaffer field, the Vladimir Cerin-trained Briecat gave back $29, $10.60 and $5.60 for stopping the clock in 1:34 4/5 on the firm turf.

"She's very, very tough on the lead," Cerin said. "The key with her is to open up when she turns for home and hope they can't get her. Today they couldn't. This is the heaviest, the best she's ever looked, by far."

Westwood Pride kept in close attendance while running second on the backstretch and closed with a game rush, but just could not reel in the winner. She did hold Turning Top by a head on the wire to pay $7.20 and $3.80 as the 5-1 third choice. Turning Top tracked on the outside early before putting in her run, but had to settle for third as the 5-2 second choice. She returned $2.80.

The $1 exotics were worth $71.70 (exacta), $297.30 (trifecta) and $1,128.90 (1-2-7-5 superfecta). Wynning Ride (Candy Ride [Arg]) followed Turning Top by another 1 1/4 lengths, but only a nose and two heads separated the next three finishers -- Distinctive (GB) (Tobougg [Ire]), Princess Taylor (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]) and Blue Maiden (GB) (Medicean). Value Stream (A.P. Indy) brought up the rear of the field.

Briecat earned her first graded score in 2008 when taking the Bayakoa H. (G2) and last year ran second in the Vanity H. (G1). In addition to those two, she has captured four other stakes, including the Las Madrinas H. in late September, and placed in three black-type events, most recently the Swingtime S. prior to Sunday's victory. The five-year-old mare improved her career mark to 24-8-3-0 and has now earned $467,805.

"We have her nominated for a race (November 20 Treasure Chest S. ) in Louisiana on Delta Jackpot night (at Delta Downs)," Cerin said. "But I figured if we run her here, I won't have to train her hard. We'll see how she comes out of this race, but we're still looking at Louisiana."

Bred in Florida by Ocala Oaks Inc. and Don R. Graham, Briecat is out of the unraced Marlin mare Silk Briefcase and counts as a half-brother a weanling Tale of the Cat colt. Briecat's third dam is eight-time stakes queen Klassy Briefcase (Medieval Man), who would go on to produce stakes victors Stu's Choice (Afleet) and Mr. Miesque (Miesque's Son).

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