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Aviate takes wing in Distaff Turf Mile
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| Aviate has the profile of past Juddmonte fillies who made good in the United States
(Jamie Newell/Horsephotos.com) |
Around this time last year, AVIATE (GB) (Dansili [GB]) propelled
herself into the Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) picture with a late-running victory
in the Musidora S. (Eng-G3) at York. On Saturday, the Juddmonte Farms
homebred had a brush with an entirely different kind of classic. Playing
a supporting role on the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard, Aviate turned in
another sparkling rally in the $227,800
Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2). The Bill Mott trainee accelerated
smartly inside the final sixteenth, overhauled Aruna (Mr. Greeley), and
won going away by 1 1/2 lengths. Under Kent Desormeaux, the 5-1 chance
returned $13.20, $6.40 and $5 as the sixth choice in the nine-strong
field.Aviate showed marked improvement in this second U.S. start, having
finished a belated third in the March 5 Honey Fox S. (G3) at Gulfstream
in her stateside debut. The well-bred bay was reserved well back in the
early going while the free-wheeling Kiss Mine (Mineshaft) rattled off
splits of :23 3/5, :47 4/5 and 1:12. Tapitsfly (Tapit) chased in second,
followed by Upperline (Maria's Mon) and Aruna comprising the next
flight. Aviate crept up into fourth, passing Upperline, on the far turn.
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Kiss Mine clung doggedly to the lead down the stretch, until Aruna wore her
down and struck the front between calls. Meanwhile, Aviate was cruising up on
the outside. Aruna, who was racing for the first time since capturing the
November 20 Mrs. Revere S. (G2) over the course, could not summon enough to
thwart her. Aviate powered past and scored comfortably in a final time of 1:36
3/5 on the turf labeled firm.
"She had a good clean trip," Desormeaux recapped. "She was always on the
bridle -- very aggressive, in fact. I think her frame helped her tremendously
with winning the race. She has a light frame, so she was able to skip over the
top, whereas the bigger, heavier horses had to sink a lot deeper.
"It is still soft, so she enjoyed the soft going," he added regarding his
view of the course condition. "I don't think she wants to get there as quick as
I did in the last race, and I may have gotten there too soon today."
Aruna just held second by a neck from the closing Fantasia (GB) (Sadler's
Wells). Zapparition (Ghostzapper) got up for fourth, relegating Kiss Mine to
fifth. Next came Never Retreat, Tapitsfly, Wild Mia (Wildcat Heir) and Upperline.
Vivo Per Lei (Empire Maker), who was violently upset in the gate and thrashed
herself around before struggling out, was a late scratch, while Ice Mist (Forest
Danger) had been withdrawn earlier on raceday.
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| Aviate was well on top of Aruna (left) in the end
(Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) |
Aviate boosted her bankroll to $242,230 from her 9-4-0-1 line. Initially
trained by Henry Cecil, she captured her first three career starts -- a maiden
on Kempton's Polytrack, a conditions race on the turf at Ascot and the Musidora,
where she displayed a sharp gear change to overcame a traffic nightmare. She had
not won in her five subsequent starts since then. After winding up unplaced in
the Oaks, Blandford S. (Ire-G2), Sun Chariot S. (Eng-G1) and Prix de Flore
(Fr-G3), Aviate was exported, joined Mott, and opened her American career with
her third in the Honey Fox.
"It was a different surface today," Mott said, comparing her effort
to the Honey Fox. "It was a fast, speed-favoring surface down there (at
Gulfstream Park). It was a good pace and just enough cut in the ground
where the closers had a chance today. It took her a race to get on
track, but it looked like a good effort on her part. I don't think she
likes real soft ground, but ground like this didn't seem to be a factor.
Right now we'll probably look at the one-mile stake on Belmont Day (the
June 11 Just a Game [G1])."
Bred in Great Britain, the four-year-old is out of the winning Irish River
(Fr) mare Emplane, making her a full sister to French Group 3 victor and Group
1-placed Early March; the well-regarded but ill-fated Wingwalker, who died as a
two-year-old; and current sophomore Air Traffic, runner-up in the April 14 Wood
Ditton at Newmarket in his premiere. Emplane has since produced the juvenile
filly Symposia (Galileo [Ire]).
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Emplane is herself a full sister to multiple Grade 1-placed Boatman and a
half-sister to the winning Palisade (Gone West), the dam of multiple Grade 2
queen Jibboom (Mizzen Mast). This is the family of champion and Irish One
Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) heroine Al Bahathri (Blushing Groom [Fr]), the dam of
Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and Champion S. (Eng-G1) star Haafhd (Alhaarth);
Group 1-placed Irish stakes winner and stakes producer Hasbah (Ire) (Kris); and
Group 2 scorer Munir (Indian Ridge). Grade or Group 1 winners Heatseeker (Ire)
(Giant's Causeway), Gladiatorus (Silic [Fr]), Spanish Fern (El Gran Senor),
Hearts of Fire (Firebreak) and Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) are other notable
family members.
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