Citronnade too sharp in Gamely

Stronach Stables' homebred CITRONNADE (Lemon Drop Kid) continued her

dominance of the turf distaff set in California with a front-running score in

Monday's $367,800

Gamely

Breeders' Cup S. (G1) at Hollywood Park. The Bobby Frankel trainee hurled

back a challenge from her stablemate Price Tag (GB) (Dansili [GB]) in midstretch

to finish nine furlongs in a sharp 1:45 3/5, extending her winning streak to

four.

Citronnade didn't explode right out of the gate, but she smoothly moved up to

take charge by the time the field passed the wire for the first time. Regular

pilot David Flores artfully rationed out her speed as she set fractions of :23

4/5, :47 4/5 and 1:11. Charm the Giant (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) and Vacare (Lear

Fan) adopted close stalking positions, with Price Tag reserved slightly farther

back in fourth. On the far turn, the hitherto unbeaten Vacare tried to make a

run at Citronnade, but the winner kicked into another gear and looked well on

her way to her third straight romp at the top of the stretch. Price Tag then

ranged up ominously to make things suddenly interesting. As Price Tag drew ever

closer to her flank, Citronnade found still more to repel her and secure the

victory by three-quarters of a length.

Sent off as the prohibitive 4-5 favorite, the winner furnished mutuels of

$3.60, $2.60 and $2.10. Price Tag yielded $4 and $3 at odds of 4-1, while the

all-Frankel exacta ($1) totaled $3.80. It was another 4 1/2 lengths back to

Vacare in third, who paid $2.60 at nearly 3-1 and ended the $13.50 trifecta

($1). Three Degrees (Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]) checked in fourth. Sadly, the gray

broke down approaching the wire. Despite the quick reaction of jockey Victor

Espinoza, who pulled her up immediately, her injuries were so severe that she

had to be euthanized. Sohgol (Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]) and Charm the Giant

completed the order of finish.

Citronnade's scorecard now reads 10-7-2-0 with $567,080 in her account. The

four-year-old bay filly has won five of six on the turf, including tallies in the

Graceful Darby S. at Belmont Park in September, the Audrey Skirball-Kenis S. at

Hollywood in November, and the San Gorgonio H. (G2) and Santa Ana H. (G2) this

year at Santa Anita. Her lone loss on the grass came last October at Keeneland,

when she wound up a subpar ninth behind Vacare in the Queen Elizabeth II

Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1).

The winner was bred in the Bluegrass State and is the fourth black-type

winner produced from the stakes-winning Primarily (Lord at War [Arg]).

Citronnade counts Canadian champions Poetically (Silver Deputy) and Primaly (Alydeed),

as well as Grade 3 winner Whiskey Wisdom (Wild Again), as half-siblings. She

also has an unraced two-year-old half-sister named Be Glorious (Red Bullet).