|
|
FILLY & MARE TURF DIARY SEPTEMBER 27, 2009 In this installment, we'll take note of a few intriguing fluctuations in the division, which could either be temporary blips or the harbinger of new trends, and cast a quick glance at a few upcoming Breeders' Cup preps. Royal upset: Considering the weight that champion FOREVER TOGETHER (Belong to Me) was conceding all around as the 124-pound highweight in last Sunday's Canadian S. (Can-G2), and her narrow margin of victory last time out in the Diana S. (G1), it's not necessarily a huge shock that she was just nipped in a three-way photo. The identity of her upsetter, however, was a bit of a surprise: the 15-1 PRINCESS HAYA (Street Cry [Ire]), a thrice-raced maiden exactly one year ago, who had spent most of the past year in allowance/optional claiming company, and whose entire stakes resume consisted of two well-beaten runner-up efforts in off-the-turf events. The Michael Matz filly proved that she belonged in this league, producing a sustained rally along the inside to thrust her nose in front of the 1-5 Forever Together at the wire, with MUCH OBLIGED (Kingmambo) between the two, just another head back. Princess Haya was undoubtedly helped by her mere 113-pound impost, 11 pounds fewer than Forever Together, and she may have also been racing over the best part of the course. (Mark Casse, trainer of Marchfield [A.P. Indy], who finished fifth in the Northern Dancer S. [Can-G1] later the same day, told Daily Racing Form that the outside was definitely not the place to be.) On the plus side, Princess Haya was good enough to take advantage of the situation. She is also just a four-year-old with a total of 13 lifetime starts, suggesting that she has more scope for improvement. Moreover, Princess Haya may not have been flying under the Canadian radar if her previous stakes races -- the June 13 John W. Rooney Memorial S. at Delaware and the August 2 Matchmaker S. at Monmouth -- had stayed on turf. But for rain on the Eastern seaboard at those times, she may have already emerged as an up-and-comer. If Princess Haya does develop into a long-term force in the division, she would become yet another advertisement for her outrageously successful sire, Street Cry (Ire). Just consider his leading performers by year: champions Zenyatta and Street Sense, along with multiple Grade 1-winning sprinter Street Boss, highlighted his first crop foaled in 2004; 2005 witnessed the births of multiple Grade 1 queen Seventh Street and Australian star Whobegotyou; and his 2006 foals include the highly-regarded Desert Party and Street Hero, whose career was prematurely ended by injury. There's another, more personal, angle to the Princess Haya tale: a filly, who shares the name of Sheikh Mohammed's wife, adds to the impressive stud record of Street Cry, himself a Sheikh Mohammed homebred, Godolphin colorbearer, and now Darley stallion. There must be a compelling human interest story behind all this, to shed light on how the Texas-bred Princess Haya was named by her owner/breeder, Eileen Hartis. Princess Haya could return to Woodbine for the October 17 E.P. Taylor S. (Can-G1), where she will have to compete at level weights against a flurry of top-level opponents. We'll know more about her mettle after that. Forever the champ? While the jury is still out on the equine Princess Haya, neither is the picture altogether clear for Forever Together. Much like her repeat Diana score, Forever Together came charging on the outside in the Canadian, took dead aim on Much Obliged, looked as if she would sweep past, yet was content to race alongside her rival and did not do much more than keep her head in front. As trainer Jonathan Sheppard told the DRF, Forever Together thought she had the measure of Much Obliged. The champion outsmarted herself this time. Unlike the Diana, when Forever Together had only one opponent to her inside, she had two to her inside in the Canadian, only she couldn't see Princess Haya gaining on the other side of Much Obliged. Forever Together also shifted onto her left lead nearing the wire, a slight loss of momentum that didn't further her cause. Does this signify that Forever Together is losing her killer instinct, and perhaps on the verge of losing her championship title? I'd posed a similar question after the Diana, but an analysis of the fractions showed that she still delivered a ferocious turn of foot at Saratoga. Unfortunately, only the first two splits are available for the about nine-furlong Canadian, but indications are that it was not as good an effort as the Diana. For starters, it wasn't nearly as deep a field. In the Canadian, all of the top three finishers came from off the pace, and were in fact racing in tandem for a time on the backstretch, so Forever Together was not overcoming a disadvantageous pace scenario as she was at Saratoga. Although her top weight alone would be enough to excuse her, it's possible that she's just not well suited to Woodbine. Remember that Forever Together was only third in last year's Canadian, admittedly on yielding ground. Nevertheless, at the moment, Forever Together appears happier to run with horses than to dominate them. The attending circumstances in the Diana and the Canadian could account for this, so I won't jump to any hasty conclusions. Back at level weights, over a course she loves, Forever Together could look like her old swashbuckling self. The acid test will be her title defense in the October 10 First Lady S. (G1) at Keeneland. If she doesn't win decisively there, the skepticism will mount heading into the November 6 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). First Lady bombshell: In a major news flash, DIAMONDRELLA (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]), who had defeated Forever Together in the Just a Game S. (G1) earlier this season, is now being re-routed to the First Lady. The DRF reported Friday that the brilliant mare has been purchased by IEAH Stables and Michael Iavarone, and will remain in the care of Angel Penna Jr. I had been disappointed that Diamondrella did not try to stretch out to two turns over the summer. This view was only reinforced when she auditioned for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), by way of a synthetic experiment in the September 12 Presque Isle Downs Masters S. (G3) that went badly awry. Her six-race winning skein was snapped in the course of her lackluster sixth on the Tapeta. With that misguided interlude now past, Diamondrella can get back to the turf, and hopefully prove herself equally adept at a two-turn mile. I'd love to see a distaffer with her incendiary speed try the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). (This applies at least as forcefully to VENTURA [Chester House], who made mincemeat of her male rivals in last Sunday's Woodbine Mile [Can-G1], in stakes-record, and near course-record, time. Unfortunately, at this writing, it appears that the Juddmonte Farms homebred is aiming for a title defense in the Filly & Mare Sprint, rather than a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Mile.) Another surprising addition to the prospective First Lady field is DANZON (Royal Academy), who returned from a year-long layoff to capture the September 19 Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf S. Once trained by Patrick Biancone and Todd Pletcher, the Joseph Allen colorbearer was making her first start for Kellyn Gorder. Danzon has some back class, as evidenced by her victory in the 2006 Prix Vanteaux (Fr-G3) and her third-place effort versus males in the 2007 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1). Barbarian invasion: The August 29 Ballston Spa H. (G2) at Saratoga was almost a mirror image of the Canadian. An overlooked outsider got up in the final stride to surprise the favorite, but in this case, unheralded German shipper SALVE GERMANIA (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) finished with a flourish down the center of the course to deny RUTHERIENNE (Pulpit) by a head. Between the two was MY PRINCESS JESS (Stormy Atlantic) in a close third. Salve Germania, sent off at 24-1 in her American debut, had about as much to recommend her as Princess Haya. No serious threat in her past European stakes attempts, the chestnut had been competing exclusively at distances of 1 1/4 miles and beyond. She looked like the stereotypical German plodder who would find 1 1/16 miles against American graded rivals too sharp to handle. She did nothing to gain adherents in the paddock or during the post parade, when she threw a tantrum and unseated Javier Castellano. For the first mile or so of the Ballston Spa, Salve Germania could be safely ignored at the tail of the field. Meanwhile, although Rutherienne caught an unfavorably soft course, the 9-5 choice still made a smart move to slice through rivals in the stretch. The Virginia Kraft Payson homebred outkicked My Princess Jess and appeared on her way to victory, only to be nailed late by the surging Salve Germania, who had suddenly lurched into view in the final yards. With Rutherienne clocking her final sixteenth in :6 1/5, Salve Germania had to have been flying to catch her. Salve Germania probably coped with the conditions better than most, but she shouldn't be dismissed as a soft-turf specialist. Not only were her connections convinced that she prefers a faster surface, but the fact that she is a daughter of Peintre Celebre also suggests as much. Despite the soft ground, the form looks solid, with both Rutherienne and My Princess Jess coming out of the Diana (where they finished third and fifth, respectively), and Godolphin's COCOA BEACH (Chi) (Doneraile Court) checking in a one-paced fourth. Even more than Princess Haya, Salve Germania has significant upside. The Ballston Spa was only her ninth start; she was not the beneficiary of a hefty weight concession from her rivals; and she hails from an exceptional family. She is out of German classic winner and highweight older mare Salve Regina (Monsun), who is in turn a full sister to Deutsches Derby (Ger-G1) heroes Samum and Schiaparelli. Like the bewildering array of Germanic tribes who overwhelmed Roman territory in the Early Middle Ages, Salve Germania is here to stay. She can continue to wreak havoc in this country for new trainer Pletcher, and we may be saying "Hail, Germany" for a while. Salve Germania is on an all-star list of invitees to Saturday's Flower Bowl Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park. Ruthie the riveter: Rutherienne went right back to work in the September 19 Noble Damsel H. (G3) over a mile at Belmont, again showing her toughness and professionalism to score by a whisker after a riveting stretch duel with QUIET MEADOW (El Prado [Ire]). Trapped behind the soon-to-be-weakening pacesetters turning for home, Rutherienne was also hemmed in by a clever piece of race-riding by Castellano aboard Quiet Meadow. Rutherienne might be small, but she's not easily intimidated. The 2-5 favorite bravely held her ground and slipped through to confront Quiet Meadow, who had poached the lead in the interim. Quiet Meadow held a slight edge all the way to the wire, the much bigger filly on the outside obscuring the precise position of Rutherienne as they flashed past the post. As it turned out, however, Rutherienne had reached her utmost to snatch the victory on the line. To underscore how commendable an effort this was, Rutherienne threw in her final quarter in a shade less than :22, while giving Quiet Meadow five pounds as the 123-pound co-highweight. The Noble Damsel also reiterated the depth of the Diana, as Quiet Meadow was exiting an uncharacteristic eighth in the Saratoga contest. The two Diana alumnae, Rutherienne and Quiet Meadow, pulled 3 1/4 lengths clear of the rest. Stock boost: Although Southern California star MAGICAL FANTASY (Diesis [GB]) has not raced since our last edition, she has been flattered by a pair of recent stakes at Del Mar. GOTTA HAVE HER (Royal Academy), second to Magical Fantasy in the John C. Mabee S. (G1) last time out, rallied to capture the September 9 Palomar H. (G2) on closing day. The Jenine Sahadi mare reeled in the loose-on-the-lead LETHAL HEAT (Unusual Heat) by a neck, with Clement's CARRIBEAN SUNSET (Ire) (Danehill Dancer) a mildly closing third in the 1 1/16-mile affair. Lethal Heat was coming off a third versus males in the Del Mar Mile H. (G2), a race I wasn't high on at the time, but which looks a lot better since the winning Ferneley (Ire) (Ishiguru) just ran a terrific second in the Woodbine Mile. Carribean Sunset, who had been a near-miss runner-up to Forever Together in the Diana, may not have run up to that level here. Breaking from the far outside in post 10, she had to drop back early to angle over and minimize ground loss, so she wound up farther back than ideal for her. Carribean Sunset may not have been entirely happy on the very firm ground either, for she didn't pick up strongly in the stretch and hopped onto her left lead late. In an entirely different distance category, BLACK MAMBA (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe), twice a victim of Magical Fantasy this season, barely avoided an upset in the August 28 CTT and Thoroughbred Owners of California H. With no early pace on tap in the 1 3/8-mile contest, Mike Smith positioned the late-running Black Mamba far closer than usual in a stalking second. The 4-5 favorite was caught for speed when LEMON CHIFFON (Lemon Drop Kid) launched a pre-emptive strike on the far turn and put her head in front. Black Mamba steadily gathered momentum after straightening for home and overhauled Lemon Chiffon by three-quarters of a length. The race did not unfold well for Black Mamba at all, and as the 124-pound highweight, she was spotting Lemon Chiffon six pounds. The John Sadler mare deserves credit for finding a way to win in adversity, but she'll need to raise her game if she wants to turn the tables on Magical Fantasy. The two are expected to clash in the October 10 Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. On top of the world: As if Clement doesn't have enough of a turf squadron already, the September 12 Garden City S. (G1) marked the coming-out party for his talented filly MISS WORLD (Bernstein). The nine-furlong test at Belmont drew a cast worthy of its grade, led by American Oaks Invitational (G1) star GOZZIP GIRL (Dynaformer), but Miss World ran out an authoritative 1 3/4-length winner in her stakes debut. It's true that Gozzip Girl was the victim of a brutal, and nearly catastrophic, trip, and that misfortune compromised her chances. Stuck on the fence behind rivals who were slowing down going into the first turn, she had to steady while being bumped, and then in a second, far scarier incident, she clipped heels, stumbled, ejected Kent Desormeaux from the irons and nearly from the saddle. Desormeaux somehow regained his seat, and Gozzip Girl escaped without injury. The Tom Albertrani filly crept closer on the far turn and loomed boldly, but she couldn't sustain her bid and wound up fourth. Even if Gozzip Girl had a dream trip, though, she would have to have pulled out all the stops to thwart Miss World. Although she had nothing like the trouble suffered by Gozzip Girl, her momentum was also interrupted in the crowded first turn and again on the backstretch. Miss World uncorked a dazzling turn of foot, blazing her final eighth in :11 3/5 on soft ground, no less, and simply blew away a pair of useful yardsticks in SHARED ACCOUNT (Pleasantly Perfect) and KEERTANA (Johar). Those two were respectively first and second in the Lake Placid S. (G2) at Saratoga in their prior start, making Miss World look all the better. One notable absentee from the Garden City was undefeated Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf queen MARAM (Sahm). Trainer Chad Brown didn't want to try her on the soft ground, with her wearing aluminum pads because of recent foot trouble. She's scheduled to reappear in the October 12 Pebbles S. at Belmont. Miss World, who comes from the family of European stars Doyen and Moonshell (Ire), has now won three in a row. In a further compliment to her, REDREAMIT (Tapit), who had finished second to Miss World in an entry-level allowance at the Spa, came back to land the September 7 Twin Lights S. at Monmouth in emphatic style. The third-place finisher from that allowance, multiple European stakes-placed BUM BUM (Fr) (Giant's Causeway), is well regarded by trainer Graham Motion, who is actually mulling a bid in the October 17 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland. Gozzip Girl is definitely headed to the QEII, where she could get a rematch with Miss World. (Note that Miss World has also been invited to the Flower Bowl.) Since Gozzip Girl was a bit flat for a while after her American Oaks heroics, according to the DRF, and Albertrani found that she was just getting back to herself in time for the Garden City, it's quite possible that she'll be in even better form at Keeneland. Diamond mine: Owner/breeder Charles Fipke has two smart sophomore fillies to represent him in upcoming contests. INTERNALLYFLAWLESS (Giant's Causeway), who posted a career-best effort when garnering the August 22 Del Mar Oaks (G1), will sport his colors in the QEII, while LADY SHAKESPEARE (Theatrical [Ire]), a good-looking winner of the August 30 Ontario Colleen S. at Woodbine, has the northern front covered. I had underestimated Internallyflawless heading into the Del Mar Oaks. Last season, the Bob Baffert pupil was a rallying second in the Miesque S. (G3), but the form of that race had been beaten to a pulp in the intervening months. Internallyflawless' subsequent two efforts did not contradict that impression. Could she improve off her closing fourth in the San Clemente H. (G2) in her return from a seven-month layoff? Sure, but I didn't think that she was good enough to win this Grade 1 prize. While Internallyflawless proved me wrong about her overall ability, my mea culpa only goes so far, for she exploited a set-up that was ideal for her and detrimental to her most serious rivals. The Del Mar Oaks thus served as the perfect stage for this royally-bred filly to boost her broodmare value. Out of a half-sister to the illustrious Bosra Sham, and from the family of Lammtarra, Internallyflawless is an even hotter commodity now. Garrett Gomez gets an assist for masterminding her trip. In a change of tactics, he placed Internallyflawless in second, tracking a longshot through dawdling splits until the overmatched pacesetter gave way. Internallyflawless took over, set sail for home and had enough left to hold off NAN (High Yield) by a half-length. It was good to see Nan, a Grade 1-caliber filly on synthetic earlier in the year, regain her best form, and live up to her turf-friendly pedigree. Even-money favorite WELL MONIED (Maria's Mon), in contrast, endured a trip that was the precise opposite of the winner's. Held up far back off the early crawl, she made a huge move on the backstretch to reach contention while wide on the far turn, but the combined effects of the pace and ground loss took their toll. Well Monied settled for third, beaten a total of 1 1/2 lengths; that margin paled in comparison to the 42 extra feet she covered, compared to Internallyflawless, according to Trakus. The top three fillies all flew home on the faster side of :11 and change, whether measuring by Trakus or the official chart. If any had gotten a different trip, the order could easily have been reversed. Well Monied may get the opportunity to prove this point in the QEII. Fipke's Lady Shakespeare would also be a logical candidate for the QEII, but trainer Roger Attfield told the DRF that he was considering a tilt against older rivals in the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine. Like Miss World, she is also invited to the Flower Bowl. A full sister to once-beaten multiple Grade 1 hero Shakespeare, the chestnut extended her winning streak to four in the Ontario Colleen. Lady Shakespeare was near the rear of the 11-horse field through the first six furlongs, then asserted herself in the stretch to score by 1 1/4 lengths. As sharp as she's been between one and 1 1/8 miles, she could relish stepping up in trip. Flower Bowl preview: Judging by the list of invitees, Saturday's Flower Bowl is shaping up to be an outstanding Breeders' Cup prep, and we can only hope that the New York weather doesn't play a determining factor. Defending champion DYNAFORCE (Dynaformer) and Grade 1 heroine PURE CLAN (Pure Prize), the respective first and third from the Beverly D. S. (G1), could renew rivalry in the 1 1/4-mile affair, while Salve Germania may attempt to follow up on her Ballston Spa surprise. Besides Dynaforce, trainer Bill Mott also has MUSHKA (Empire Maker), who made the most of a perfect trip to take the September 7 Glens Falls H. (G3) at Saratoga. Mushka's alternative engagement is the E.P. Taylor. Glens Falls runner-up LEMONETTE (Lemon Drop Kid), who ran a Herculean race to close from the rear off a tepid pace, is also on the Flower Bowl list, along with the respective third through fifth in the Glens Falls -- QUEEN OF HEARTS (Thunder Gulch), CAPRICE (Ger) (Monsun) and BUBBLY JANE (Brz) (Yagli). CRITICISM (GB) (Machiavellian), who will try to rebound from a subpar ninth in the Diana, could be something of a forgotten horse for Albertrani. The Darley mare had been a major player in the first half of the year, including a categorical defeat of Mushka in the Sheepshead Bay (G2) over this same inner turf course. Clement has three on the list -- Carribean Sunset, Miss World and new import BEAUTY O' GWAUN (Ire) (Rainbow Quest). Previously trained by John Oxx, Beauty O' Gwaun prevailed in the Blue Wind S. (Ire-G3), trailed home a tailed-off last on bottomless ground in the Irish Oaks (Ire-G1), and rebounded to finish third in the Give Thanks S. (Ire-G3) in her final Irish outing. Beauty O' Gwaun could enjoy cutting back in trip here, but she doesn't yet have the established class of English shipper MONEYCANTBUYMELOVE (Pivotal), who warrants serious respect in the Flower Bowl. A stablemate of Epsom (Eng-G1) and Irish Oaks heroine Sariska (Pivotal), the Michael Bell trainee captured the Sandringham H. at Royal Ascot and was most recently third in the ultra-deep Nassau S. (Eng-G1) at Goodwood. In the Nassau, she yielded only to Oaks runner-up Midday (Oasis Dream [GB]) and subsequent Matron S. (Ire-G1) queen Rainbow View (Dynaformer). The top two from the Nassau have Breeders' Cup aspirations, with Midday eyeing the Filly & Mare Turf and Rainbow View considering the Ladies' Classic (G1). On the horizon: Our next edition will assess the results of the Flower Bowl, First Lady and Yellow Ribbon, and look ahead to the E.P. Taylor and QEII.
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
