DISTAFF DIARY
AUGUST 31, 2005
by Hunter T. Houlihan
Before ending its storied summer meeting, Saratoga blessed us with two of the
most important races for distaffers this past weekend. On Friday, five rivals
took on former divisional leader ASHADO (Saint Ballado) in the Personal Ensign
S. (G1) and Sunday the sensational sprinter HAPPY TICKET (Anet) made her first
trip to New York from the Bayou to contest the Ballerina S. (G1). Both were sent
off as the post-time favorite, but only one would cross the finish line first.
TWO TRAIL SIOUX (Indian Charlie) took off like a shot when the gates sprang
open in the Personal Ensign, opening up a 5 1/2-length advantage in the opening quarter and clear by six through a half-mile in :46 4/5. John
Velazquez took Ashado back off the suicidal pace, where they ran a clear-cut
second in the opening stages. Leaving the backstretch, Velazquez let his mount
out a notch and she dug in, quickly gaining on the leader, but it would be short-lived. The champion three-year-old filly was clearly not at her best as they
entered the stretch, where she hit the proverbial wall and eventually dead-heated for fourth. Trainer Todd Pletcher was baffled by her performance.
“I haven’t been able to pinpoint what happened,” Pletcher said. “I suppose
everybody is capable of having an off day. But I’d like to think with a filly of
her caliber, there has to be some reason behind it. We haven’t figured it out.
We’ll do some blood work on her tomorrow (Monday).”
Despite her performance in the Personal Ensign, Ashado is still being pointed
toward the Beldame (G1) at Belmont Park on October 1 and could defend her title in
the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) over the same track on October 29.
In the end, the day belonged to the Neil Howard-conditioned SHADOW CAST
(Smart Strike). The four-year-old miss swept four wide turning for home and drew
clear by 2 3/4 lengths at the wire under Robby Albarado to stop the clock in
2:02 for the 10-furlong test. A graded winner over both surfaces this year, the
chestnut filly now shows a mark of 21-9-1-6 with earnings just shy of $1 million
at $923,751. Personally, this author can’t wait to see where she reappears.
The Ballerina yielded much different results. While Happy Ticket and John
Velazquez ran off the pace just like the Eclipse Award-winning jockey had done
with Ashado, this time his charge had a response when he asked her, and the
female counterpart to King’s Bishop (G1) hero Lost in the Fog (Lost Soldier)
surged through the lane of the seven-eighths-of-a-mile event to win by a
widening 5 1/2 lengths. The Andrew Leggio trainee recorded her 10th win from 11
starts when annexing the Ballerina, her eighth stakes win, and the
Louisiana-bred four-year-old silenced most of her critics, including myself, who
had questioned her ability against New York Grade 1 rivals. The bay rates a
serious threat at six or seven furlongs, and we’re also looking forward to her
next outing.