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Rutherienne just scrapes home in Genter
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Rutherienne (center) willed her way home in the Frances A. Genter
(Jim Lisa Photo/Courtesy of Calder Race Course) |
Virginia Kraft Payson's homebred RUTHERIENNE (Pulpit) justified her 6-5
favoritism in Saturday's $100,000
Frances A.
Genter S. (G3), but the Christophe Clement filly kept her supporters in
suspense before prevailing by a neck in a three-way photo. That was the second
straight nail-biting success for Clement on Calder's Grand Slam III card, as his
Bayou's Lassie (Outflanker) recorded a neck victory in the Stage Door Betty H.
(G3) one race earlier.
Rene Douglas reserved Rutherienne in midpack early, while Beautiful Venue
(Came Home) guided the field through an opening quarter in :23. Pretoria Light
(Colony Light) then asserted herself and took command, clocking fractions of :45
4/5 and 1:10. Rutherienne inched closer turning for home, and at the top of the
stretch, the dark bay sophomore produced her challenge on the outside.
Pretoria Light refused to wilt under pressure, however, and engaged in a
spirited duel with the favorite. Adding to the fracas, the deep-closing Sweet
Ransom (Red Ransom) roared home late. Rutherienne dug down deep, finally subdued
Pretoria Light, and staved off Sweet Ransom. The determined winner reeled off 7
1/2 furlongs on the firm turf in 1:28 to remain unbeaten from three starts at
Calder, advancing her lifetime mark to a sparkling eight-for-10.
"The way the course was playing (favoring speed), Rene put her a little
closer to the pace than she usually is, which might have taken a little off of
her closing kick, but she got the job done," Clement said. "She's a very good
filly and I didn't really have her at 100 percent for this race, but she was
able to overcome that."
Sweet Ransom and Pretoria Light dead-heated for runner-up honors, 1 1/2
lengths clear of Beautiful Venue in fourth. Maddy's Heart (Lion Hearted),
Silence Dogood (Grand Slam), Cozzi Capital (Cozzene), Street Sounds (Street Cry
[Ire]), Dattts Awesome (Awesome Again), Pitamakan (Danzig) and Marchesa (Outflanker)
completed the order under the wire. Katerbug (Pulpit) and Snow Cone (Cryptoclearance)
were scratched, along with the also-eligibles Lady Carlock (Chester House),
Foret (Forest Camp) and Precious Princess (Horse Chestnut [SAf]).
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Rutherienne returned $4.60, $2.80 and $2.60. Sweet Ransom, the second choice
at 3-1, gave back $2.60 and $3 while ending the $10.20 exacta. The trifecta with
Sweet Ransom in the second spot was worth $103, and the 8-1-11-3 superfecta
totaled $602.30. The 18-1 Pretoria Light yielded $5.20 and $6.40 and concluded
the $33.40 exacta. The trifecta with Pretoria Light in second place paid
$141.80, and the 8-11-1-3 superfecta returned $649.50.
With this seventh stakes victory on her resume, Rutherienne boosted her
bankroll to $620,975. The dark bay has captured the Del Mar Oaks (G1), Lake
George S. (G3), Sands Point S. (G3), Boiling Springs S. (G3) and Sugar Plum Time
S. this season, and as a juvenile, she took the Cherokee Frolic S. at Calder.
Rutherienne was coming off an uncharacteristic last-place finish in the Garden
City S. (G1), which she exited with an injury.
Bred in Kentucky, Rutherienne is out of the stakes-winning Ruthian (Rahy),
making her a three-quarters sister to the juvenile colt Big Wig (A.P. Indy), who
finished second last out in the Chenery S. She has an unnamed yearling
half-brother by Vindication and a weanling half-sister by Afleet Alex.
Rutherienne's fifth dam is Tempted (*Half Crown), the champion handicap mare of
1959 who covered herself in glory at Saratoga, with back-to-back tallies in the
Diana H. as well as a score in the Alabama S.
Clement said that Rutherienne would enjoy a vacation before gearing up for
her 2008 campaign, with her primary objectives being the Just a Game S. (G1) and
Diana S. (G1) next summer.
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