Printer Friendly Page 

Pine Island rallies to take the Gazelle

Pine Island added another Grade 1 to her record (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com) Phipps Stable homebred PINE ISLAND (Arch) was content to run next to last during the early part of Saturday's $250,000 Gazelle S. (G1) on Belmont Park's fast main track, but she was in front when it really mattered -- at the wire. With Javier Castellano sitting confidently aboard, the Shug McGaughey charge earned her second straight Grade 1, taking the Alabama S. (G1) at Saratoga prior to this race. Before that one, the lightly raced sophomore miss was second in the Mother Goose S. (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), and the dark bay now boasts a 6-4-2-0 record to go along with $666,800 in lifetime earnings. "She stumbled in the first jump, (but) nothing bothers the filly," Castellano said. "She's getting better and better. Today, right at the three-eighths pole, she was right behind the speed horses. When I asked her at the quarter-pole -- vrrrrroom!" Bushfire (Louis Quatorze) quickly moved to the fore when the gates opened, closely pursued by Teammate (A.P. Indy) and Wild Fit (Wild Wonder) through a first quarter in :23 4/5. Settling into stride, the pacesetter was 1 1/2 lengths clear of Teammate, who had taken up position just behind and to her outside, while posting the half-mile in :46 4/5.

Meanwhile, Castellano had Pine Island just loping along in fifth, and the eventual winner started gearing up as the field reached the final turn. Bushfire was still holding the lead, getting three-quarters in 1:10 3/5, but Teammate was ranging up along her outside, collaring her rival and getting a mile in 1:36. Pine Island split horses while leaving the turn and pulled her way up to the outside of Teammate approaching the eighth pole. She drove past and went on to record a length victory while stopping the clock in 1:48 4/5 for nine furlongs.

"She hasn't missed a beat since the Alabama," McGaughey said. "I can't say I wasn't nervous bringing her back in three weeks off two mile and a quarter races. My thinking of coming back here was trying to hook Bushfire off a layoff. (Pine Island is) an old, hard-running, big, old, country kind of horse and she always gives her all."

Sent off the even-money favorite, Pine Island paid $4.10, $2.60 and $2.10 while keying the $15.60 exacta and $99 trifecta (5-4-3). Teammate held second by an easy nine lengths, giving back $4.80 and $3.90 at 7-1, while longshot Last Romance (Wild Rush) was worth $4.90 at 28-1. Unbridled Belle (Broken Vow), who broke awkwardly toward the inside from her rail post, recovered enough to take fourth, and was followed by Bushfire and Wild Fit.

The Kentucky-bred Pine Island is the second registered foal out of the winning Matlacha Pass (Seeking the Gold), who has since produced an unraced juvenile filly named Voyage (Rahy) and a yearling colt called Offshore (Giant's Causeway). Matlacha Pass is herself a daughter of the unraced Our Country Place (Pleasant Colony), who is also the dam of last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold) and multiple Grade 2 queen Country Hideaway (Seeking the Gold). Pine Island's third dam is 1988 Alabama S. (G1) victress Maplejinsky (Nijinsky II), who also ran fourth in that year's Gazelle. That mare is the dam of 1994 champion older mare Sky Beauty (Blushing Groom [Fr]), herself the dam of Group 3 winner Hurricane Cat (Storm Cat).

McGaughey said he would probably train Pine Island up to the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on November 4 at Churchill Downs.

More Graded Recaps:

Bradester takes flight in Salvator Mile

Dogwood Trail leads to Azalea winner's circle

Grand Bili captures Carry Back

Big Blue Kitten regains United Nations title

Merry Meadow crowned in Princess Rooney

Send this article to a friend