Printer Friendly Page 

Irish accomplishes possibly final Mission in The Very One

Irish Mission recorded her fifth stakes win and has now earned more than $1.3 million (Adam Coglianese Photo) Robert S. Evans' Irish Mission (Giant's Causeway) has a date with leading sire Tapit this spring, but the millionaire and former Canadian champion showed in Saturday's $150,000 The Very One (G3) that she's not thinking of her broodmare career just yet. Attending comebacker Riposte (Dansili) through snail-like fractions of :26 4/5, :53 3/5, 1:20 and 1:43 4/5 on the firm Gulfstream Park turf, Irish Mission overpowered her down the lane and forged 1 1/2 lengths clear. The top two were also the preferred betting choices, in reverse order. The public sent Riposte off as the slight 9-5 favorite over Irish Mission, who covered 1 3/8 miles in 2:18 3/5 and paid $5.80 to win. Riposte, unraced since her victory in the June 28 New York (G2), salvaged second by a neck from the rallying Tabreed (Sakhee). A stablemate of Irish Mission, Tabreed gave trainer Christophe Clement a one-three result. Another neck away came the dead-heaters for fourth, Caroline Thomas (Giant's Causeway) and Bitty Kitty (Kitten's Joy).

Irish Mission has compiled a mark of 29-7-6-3, $1,357,073. Honored as Canada's champion three-year-old filly and turf female of 2012, when trained by Mark Frostad, she captured the Woodbine Oaks and split decisions with males in two Canadian classics. Irish Mission was runner-up in the Queen's Plate before defeating the boys in the Breeders' S. The chestnut didn't have as memorable a four-year-old campaign, her only stakes credits being placings in the 2013 Nassau (Can-G2) and Orchid (G3).

Transferred to Clement for 2014, Irish Mission earned her graded stripes with a score in the Glens Falls (G3) at Saratoga, and she added another last time out in the December 27 La Prevoyante (G3) over this course. She placed in four additional stakes – the Rodeo Drive (G1), Matchmaker (G3), the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup Invitational versus males and the Sheepshead Bay (G2), where she was a well-beaten third to an in-form Riposte.

Should connections opt to give her one more race before calling it a career, the logical spot would be the March 28 Orchid.

Irish Mission was bred by Samson-Farm in Ontario and sold for $375,000 as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga. A half-sister to multiple Grade 3 winner French Beret (Broad Brush), Irish Mission is out of 2000 Wonder Where S. heroine Misty Mission (Miswaki), who is herself a daughter of 1987 Breeders' S. vixen Hangin on a Star (Vice Regent).

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com

More Graded Recaps:

Bradester takes flight in Salvator Mile

Dogwood Trail leads to Azalea winner's circle

Grand Bili captures Carry Back

Big Blue Kitten regains United Nations title

Merry Meadow crowned in Princess Rooney

Send this article to a friend