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Stopchargingmaria outclasses rivals in Allaire du Pont
Distaff
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| Stopchargingmaria was on time, as expected, in the Allaire du Pont Distaff
(Horsephotos.com) |
Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) broke a tad slowly in Friday's $150,000
Allaire du Pont Distaff (G3) at Pimlico, but the 3-5 favorite had little
trouble regrouping and asserting her superiority in the nine-furlong test for
fillies and mares.
Rating in mid-pack as Queen's Blade (Menifee) and Yahilwa (Medaglia d'Oro)
dueled and exchanged leads through splits of :23 1/5 and :46 2/5,
Stopchargingmaria began to whittle into the deficit around the far turn as
Yahilwa moved ahead by a length after three-quarters in 1:11 1/5.
In the stretch, Stopchargingmaria passed Yahilwa approaching the eighth pole
and drew off to win by four lengths under John Velazquez. She returned $3.20
after completing the distance in 1:50 1/5 over a fast track. "She had a really good work last week at Belmont for this race," said trainer
Todd Pletcher, who trains the four-year-old filly for Town and Country Farms.
"It was as good as I had ever seen her. She got away bad and I was a little
worried, but when I saw the fast fractions, I figured we would be OK. I'm not
sure what's next."
Yahilwa, the 5-1 second choice, held second by a neck over 21-1 chance Joint
Return (Include). The order of finish was completed by Blue Violet (Curlin),
Oasis at Midnight (Midnight Lute), Lunar Surge (Malibu Moon), Fortune Pearl
(Mineshaft), Perique (Tapit), Brenda's Way (Weigelia), Celtic Katie (Posse), and
Queen's Blade. Before You Know It (Hard Spun) was scratched.
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This was the sixth career graded stakes win for Stopchargingmaria, who
captured the Demoiselle (G2) and Tempted (G3) at two, and the Alabama (G1),
Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), and Black-Eyed Susan (G2) last season. She's
also placed in the Spinaway (G1), Frizette (G1), Beldame (G1), and Madison (G1),
the latter her season debut April 4 at Keeneland where she finished second by a
half-length. Her record now stands at 13-7-3-1, $1,654,000.
Bred in Kentucky by Harvey Clarke and Brookdale Farm, Stopchargingmaria was
reared by multiple stakes winner Exotic Bloom (Montbrook), herself a Grade
3-placed stakes winner See Tobe (Concerto).
This extended family includes noted performer and sire Stop the Music (Hail
to Reason), Grade 1 winner Hatchet Man (The Axe II), Canadian champion Ginger
Brew (Milwaukee Brew), and classic-placed Grade 2 scorer Vision and Verse (Storm
Cat).
Stopchargingmaria was a $47,000 Keeneland September yearling and $220,000 OBS
March two-year-old, but was led out of the ring unsold after a $3.15 million bid
at the Fasig-Tipton November sale last fall. She was reportedly sold by original
owner Mike Repole to Town and Country in a later private sale.
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