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Caminadora pulls last-to-first upset in Regret
The Regret began formfully enough, with the speedy Go Ask Alex (Afleet Alex) taking her usual spot up front through fractions of :24, :48 1/5 and 1:13 2/5. A rank Queen of the Creek (Theatrical [Ire]) tracked in second, but lost that position on the far turn and gave way. At the same time, Dynazaper (Ghostzapper) was on the march, brushing aside Go Ask Alex and driving to the lead at the top of the stretch. Then Dynazaper began to weaken passing the eight-pole, and the Regret was up for grabs. It's Tea Time (Dynaformer), the 2-1 favorite, was among a squadron of fillies in the hunt inside the final furlong, but she could not summon the necessary closing kick. Instead, it was the improbable Caminadora who rolled home on the outside to finish 1 1/8 miles on the good turf in 1:52. "Overall, we had a great trip," Nakatani said. "(Trainer) Todd (Pletcher) said 'Let's try to save as much ground as we can and try to make one run. She's not as good as the others on numbers but she's been doing good.' I got pinched back a little at the start, but we weren't too worried about that because we wanted to lay back and get her nice and relaxed and make one run -- the winning one -- and she did." Snow Top Mountain, who had beaten Caminadora convincingly in a May 13 allowance over the course, also rallied boldly from near the tail of the field. Although she was too late to catch Caminadora, she secured runner-up honors by three-quarters of a length and returned $16 and $10.20. Queen Hazel kept on gamely to prevail by a neck in a four-way finish for third, paying $17.40. It's Tea Time rounded out the superfecta and was trailed by Dynazaper; Beautician (Dehere); La Gran Bailadora (Afleet Alex); Jody Slew (Slew City Slew), who was squeezed back in traffic in midstretch; Joharmony (Johar); Ambitoness (Action This Day); Go Ask Alex and Queen of the Creek. Laura Babe (City Zip) was scratched. With this initial stakes victory to her credit, Caminadora sports a line of 9-2-1-3, $144,878. The winner of a Belmont turf maiden last October in her fourth career start, she finished second in the Good Mood S. just 18 days later and called it a season. She plied her trade unsuccessfully in three entry-level turf allowances this year, winding up fourth at Gulfstream Park in February, a distant third to Queen of the Creek at Keeneland in April, and most recently third to Snow Top Mountain. "She's a filly that last year showed some promise at two," Pletcher said, "and we went to Florida and wanted to find a way with her a little bit. Her last race wasn't as good, but overanalyzing the race and looking at the figures it was better than it appeared, so we decided to take a shot. Her choices were to run back in a one-other-than (allowance) last week or wait the extra week and run here and give her the extra time. "It worked out well and she was able to get a good trip. She got fanned out pretty wide at the top of the stretch, but it wasn't a bad thing here. The main thing was to get her to settle the first part. It's been a great day so far. We'll play it by ear for what's next." Caminadora was bred by Stoneway Farm in Kentucky and sold for $150,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling. She is the second registered foal out of the stakes-winning Stoneway (Storm Boot), whose subsequent offspring are a juvenile filly named Pebble in the Sand (Malibu Moon) and a 2010 filly by More Than Ready, a full sister to Caminadora. The winner's fourth dam is multiple Grade 1-placed Fiesta Libre (Damascus). The Regret trophy was presented by Jean Cruguet, jockey of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.
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