Caroline gets Bizzy in time in Regret

Bouquet Booth was challenged by Excited on the far turn, but the pacesetter

responded bravely and kept plugging. As those two battled heads apart, Bizzy

Caroline deftly angled out and took aim. While Kathmanblu was failing to lift

her game, Bizzy Caroline summoned a fine turn of foot to mow the duelists down

and pull away by 2 1/4 lengths. The 4-1 third choice negotiated 1 1/8 miles on

firm turf in 1:49 3/5 and returned $10.20, $4.60 and $4.40.

"I rode her with a lot of confidence," Cruz said, "and let her tell me where

she wanted to be in the race. Kenny (McPeek) has a lot of faith in me and didn't

give me any instructions. He just said to go do my job. I appreciate him giving

me the opportunity to ride this horse. She is a nice filly."

Excited got the better of Bouquet Booth by a half-length for second, with

Kathmanblu another head astern in fourth. Blushandbashful (Even the Score)

reported home fifth, followed by Diva Ash, Holidaysatthefarm (Smarty Jones) and

the always-trailing Gaya (Quest).

Bizzy Caroline was defeating a field littered with graded stakes veterans,

led by Grade 2 winner Kathmanblu and Grade 3 victress Bouquet Booth, both

contestants in the Ashland S. (G1) and the Kentucky Oaks (G1) in their past two.

Bouquet Booth was trying turf for the first time here, but Kathmanblu was proven

on the surface, and her up-and-coming stablemate dismissed them.

"I think she (Kathmanblu) is probably due a rest," McPeek said. "She's been

running hard since January, and it might be time to just give her a little R&R

and go from there."

Bizzy Caroline, on the other hand, is just hitting her stride.

"She ran a great race," McPeek said of the winner. "I think she is a filly

that just needed to mature. When she was younger, she looked like a horse that

was headed in the right direction, but would need some time. The Clays are a

great family and had no problem with us taking our time to develop her."

Unplaced in her two attempts as a juvenile, Bizzy Caroline was a promising

third in her 2011 debut at Gulfstream Park. The dark bay broke through next time

over the Keeneland turf on April 28, and romped by seven lengths in an

entry-level allowance here over the Matt Winn turf on May 27.

Bizzy Caroline was bred by Clay in partnership with his Runnymede Farm in

Kentucky. She is out of the winning Saint Ballado mare Sacre Coeur, whose latest

foal is an unnamed yearling colt by Elusive Quality. Bizzy Caroline's second dam

is the noted broodmare Kazadancoa (Fr) (Green Dancer), the dam of Schuylerville

S. (G2) victress Changing Ways (Time for a Change) as well as Grade 3 scorers

Jacodra's Devil (Devil's Bag) and Jacodra (Highland Park). Changing Ways went on

to produce Grade 2 winner Pays to Dream (High Yield) and stakes victress Pumpkin

Shell (Lion Heart).

Kazadancoa also factors as the ancestress of Grade 2-winning millionaire Tejano Run (Tejano), the runner-up in the 1995 Kentucky Derby (G1); Group 1 hero

Palace Episode (Machiavellian); and Grade 2 victor More Royal (Mt. Livermore).

The Runnymede matron is represented by another high-profile descendant this

season in Irish Group 2 star Laughing Lashes (Mr. Greeley), most recently third

in the May 22 Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1).

Kazadancoa is in turn a full sister to multiple English stakes queen The

Dancer (Green Dancer), the third-place finisher in the 1980 Oaks (Eng-G1) at

Epsom and a Group 1 producer. The star-studded family includes Japanese champion

King Kamehameha (Kingmambo); South African champion Musir (Redoute's Choice);

Grade 1 heroes The Deputy (Ire) (Petardia), Husband (Diesis [GB]) and Alwuhush (Nureyev);

and further back, multiple champion and influential sire Blushing Groom (Fr)

(Red God).