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Irish shipper Waltzing Matilda makes it in New York at 22-1

Waltzing Matilda had been facing the likes of Fascinating Rock and Brooch back home (Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com) In the tradition of Irish immigrants leaving home for better opportunities on American shores, Mrs. Paul Shanahan's Waltzing Matilda (Danehill Dancer) used Friday's $300,000 New York S. (G2) as a vehicle of social mobility. The Tommy Stack trainee, who had collected a trio of stakes placings on a tough circuit in Ireland, burst from off the pace to post a career high at Belmont Park. Finishing a lackluster fourth was 1-5 favorite Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy) . The loss by Stephanie's Kitten was a surprise on two counts. The clear class of the field, she was also sure to be assisted by her entrymate, Kitten's Queen (Kitten's Joy), whose presence was apparently to serve up a legitimate pace. But the rabbit didn't exactly follow the script. After an opening quarter in :24 2/5 on the firm inner turf, Kitten's Queen turned in only moderate splits of :49 3/5 and 1:14 2/5. The pacemaker began to quicken when reaching the mile mark in 1:37 3/5 and still held sway in midstretch. Meanwhile, Stephanie's Kitten was trying to get into gear from midpack. Waltzing Matilda, who had been nestled in midpack herself, was traveling better than the favorite, and jockey Junior Alvarado was able to navigate her into contention. Quickening well down the stretch, she overhauled Kitten's Queen inside the final furlong and pulled away by three-quarters of a length. The four-year-old completed 1 1/4 miles in 2:01 1/5 and sparked a $47.40 win mutuel.

British import Eastern Belle (Champs Elysees), a half-sister to Saturday's Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) favorite Golden Horn (Cape Cross), recovered from a slow start and a wide trip to grab second at the wire. Kitten's Queen hung tough for third, a neck ahead of her star entrymate, in the nine-horse field.

With the $165,000 winner's check, Waltzing Matilda boosted her bankroll to $210,672 from her 12-2-1-2 line. The bay had not won since her debut victory at Leopardstown last year, but she has been competing exclusively in stakes company. Although her 2014 efforts didn't garner any placings, she was a creditable fourth in the Derrinstown Stud One Thousand Guineas Trial (Ire-G3) and Dance Design (Ire-G3) as well as fifth versus males in The Minstrel (Ire-G3) and the Jersey (Eng-G3) at Royal Ascot.

Waltzing Matilda earned overdue black-type versus males this campaign. Runner-up to Answered (Authorized) in the April 25 Martin Molony, she was third to Parish Hall (Teofilo) in the April 19 Alleged and third to Fascinating Rock (Fastnet Rock) in the May 4 Mooresbridge (Ire-G3). She was most recently fourth to the undefeated filly Brooch (Empire Maker) in the May 23 Lanwades Stud S. (Ire-G2).

Bred by Lynch Bages Ltd. in the Emerald Isle, Waltzing Matilda RNA'd for $117,519 as a Tattersalls October yearling. A full sister to Group 3-placed Vault, she was produced by the winning Gone West mare Simadartha, who also factors as the second dam of Canadian Grade 2 winner Calgary Cat (Cowtown Cat) and multiple Macau/Hong Kong stakes-placed Champagne'n'caviar (Rock of Gibraltar).

Simadartha is a half-sister to French Group 1 scorer and highweight juvenile colt Way of Light (Woodman). This is the superb family of Machiavellian (Mr. Prospector) and Bago (Nashwan).

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