|
|
Ventura adds to Frankel legacy in Matriarch
"It was Bobby's last wish," said Garrett O'Rourke, Juddmonte Farms' manager. "He said so the Friday before he died. He called me up, and I got the feeling it was the goodbye phone call. And he told me that he was scared and what he was going to do, not take anymore of the transfusions. And he paused -- that chokes anyone up -- then he turned around and said, 'Talk to Humberto, we're still going with Ventura, right? Just tell him two easy half-miles and she will be there.' He knew he was going in days, and still, it was that important to him." Frankel did not live to see the outcome, succumbing to lymphoma on November 16, but Ventura rewarded his faith with a blistering performance as the 3-5 favorite. Ventura was also completing a quick Grade 1 double for the barn, which had collected Friday's Citation H. (G1) with Fluke (Brz) (Wild Event) on the opening day of Hollywood's Turf Festival. "I wanted this one more -- for him (Frankel)," Ascanio said. "I wish (Ventura) could stay one more year, but that's the last call. And that's why he wanted her in, he knew she was gonna win this one. They wanted to retire her a winner." Regular rider Garrett Gomez tucked Ventura along the rail, just behind the front-running Tuscan Evening (Ire) (Oasis Dream [GB]). As the pacesetter carved out splits of :24, :47 3/5 and 1:11, Ventura was a powder keg waiting to explode. Switching to the outside for a clear path turning for home, Ventura inhaled Tuscan Evening in short order, and this time, unlike some of her past races, she did not hang around waiting for company. The mercurial Ventura was all business on Saturday, stamping her authority by drawing 1 3/4 lengths clear. Even more significantly, the dark bay mare blazed her way through the final furlong to finish the firm-turf mile in a stakes-record 1:33 2/5. "She's just been amazing," Gomez said. "She's probably one of the best fillies I've ever ridden going a mile. Actually she is the best filly I've ridden going a mile. She has the most explosive turn of foot I've ever seen. I don't want to see her go. I wish she could stick around another year. I actually think she's better now than she was as a four-year-old. In a lot of her other races she tried to pull herself up, but today when I asked her to go, she went and accelerated and ran away from them. But she's got another career in front of her now, and hopefully she'll send some of her babies my way." Tuscan Evening held second by a half-length from the belatedly rallying Diamondrella (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]). Another four lengths back came Rutherienne (Pulpit) in fourth, followed by longshots Puttanesca (NZ) (Bertolini) and Taste's Sis (Marquetry). April Pride (GB) (Falbrav [Ire]) was scratched. Ventura returned $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10. The remainder of the field finished as their odds prescribed. Tuscan Evening, the nearly 3-1 second choice, paid $2.80 and $2.20 and ended the $3.30 exacta ($1). Diamondrella, the 5-1 third choice, gave back $2.40 and concluded the $5.90 trifecta ($1). Rutherienne, the 7-1 fourth choice, capped the 4-6-3-5 superfecta that totaled $11.40 ($1).
After a five-month freshening, Ventura reappeared in the September 20 Woodbine Mile (Can-G1), and promptly dismantled a field of males in a stakes-record 1:32, becoming the first distaffer to win Canada's signature event for milers. She entered her title defense in the Filly & Mare Sprint as the 4-5 favorite, but found herself too far back off a relatively tepid first quarter. While Ventura tried to overhaul a perfect-trip Informed Decision, she ultimately had to settle for second. Ventura was produced by the multiple French stakes-placed Estala (GB) (Be My Guest), who is herself a half-sister to English Group 3 warrior Vortex (GB) (Danehill); French stakes victress and classic-placed Erudite (Generous); and French Group 3 queens Prove (Danehill) and Danefair (Danehill), the latter the dam of multiple English Group 3 winner Trade Fair (GB) (Zafonic). Ventura's third dam is Cairn Rouge (Ire) (Pitcairn), heroine of the Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) and Champion S. (Eng-G1) in 1980. With Ventura's victory on Saturday, Juddmonte has now won a record six Matriarchs. O'Rourke reflected on the special bond that Frankel had with his Juddmonte runners, especially the distaffers. "Obviously they are all special," O'Rourke said. "Over the years Bobby developed a few favorites. Most of them were fillies, and (Ventura) was definitely one of them. She can be a mean devil, and he used to laugh at that because she was all personality, and he was all personality, himself."
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
