Dank justifies favoritism in Filly & Mare Turf

James Wigan's Dank was bet down to 3-2 favoritism off her stunning victory in

the August 17 Beverly D., and the English shipper duly obliged in Saturday's

Grade 1, $1,840,000

Breeders'

Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita. Quickening decisively turning into the

stretch for Ryan Moore, the Sir Michael Stoute filly was always doing enough to

hold off French hope Romantica in an all-European finish.

The top two are cousins, so to speak: Dank is by Dansili, who is a full

brother to Romantica's dam, 2001 Filly & Mare Turf romper Banks Hill. Dank has a

Breeders' Cup connection on her maternal side, being a half-sister to Eagle

Mountain, the 2008 Turf runner-up.

Laughing was widely expected to go to the lead, but she didn't show any

speed. Instead, a fiercely-tugging Dank and Marketing Mix matched strides until

Emollient decided to take over the front-running role. Emollient dictated

fractions of :24, :47 2/5 and 1:11 2/5 on the firm turf, with Dank tracking on

the rail, Marketing Mix on the outside, and Romantica well placed in a

ground-saving fourth.

On the far turn, Dank angled out, challenged Emollient at the mile mark in

1:35 1/5, and forged clear at the head of the lane. Romantica, who was under a

drive on the bend, picked up gradually when they straightened up, but not enough

to pose a serious threat.

Dank retained firm command en route to a half-length tally in a final time of

1:58 3/5, a stakes record among the Filly & Mare Turf runnings at 1 1/4 miles.

Aside from paying $5, she presumably clinched a divisional Eclipse Award.

"She had everything right today," Moore said, "and I could ride her that way.

I didn't have to take too many chances because she was the best filly in the

race. She wasn't as brilliant today as in her last race (the Beverly D.), but

she still ran a very good race today."

"We knew from stall (post) 1 we wouldn't get pushed on the inside," Stoute

said. "She seemed a bit fresh early on but Ryan knew what to do. I don't mind

going into the winner's enclosure. I'd like to keep her in training next year,

and I'm going to have to be quite persuasive."

Alterite finished well for third, edging Emollient in a fine showing by those

United States-based sophomores.

Alterite was a pick-up mount for Javier Castellano. Her original rider, Hall

of Famer John Velazquez, had been transported to the hospital after he was

thrown by the fatally-injured Secret Compass in the previous race, the Breeders'

Cup Juvenile Fillies.

"We wanted to be in the pocket where the two (Romantica) was," trainer Chad

Brown said of Alterite, "but when Laughing never left and the one (Dank) did

leave, that went out the window. She had to run two-wide the whole way but he (Castellano)

did find some cover behind Marketing Mix.

"It wasn't the best trip I was looking for that I got with (last year's

winner) Zagora. But she did find cover and I thought she finished well. I'm

proud of this filly being three years old and running three times in seven

weeks. She'll get a lengthy, well-deserved break now."

Marketing Mix checked in a one-paced fifth, followed by Tiz Flirtatious,

Laughing, Lady of Shamrock, Kitten's Dumplings and Qushchi.

Much improved as a four-year-old, Dank is now a millionaire with earnings of

$1,784,990 from her 12-7-2-1 record. The bay was a progressive three-year-old

last season. A maiden winner over Kempton's Polytrack, she later added an Ascot

handicap before placing second in the Dick Hern Fillies' in her stakes debut at

Haydock. Dank notched her first stakes victory next time in the Atalanta at

Sandown, but wrapped up her sophomore season with a fifth in the Rosemary at

Newmarket.

Dank stepped up to nine furlongs in her reappearance in Newmarket's May 5

Dahlia, and prevailed by a head despite conceding three pounds to Chigun. She

was not as effective dropping back to a mile for the June 19 Duke of Cambridge

at Royal Ascot, but was beaten only a half-length in third. Dank went back up to

nine furlongs in the Kilboy Estate and promptly rolled to a 1 3/4-length

decision. She delivered a breakthrough performance in the Beverly D., where she

romped by 4 1/4 lengths in near course-record time at Arlington, and extended

her skein to three in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Bred by London Thoroughbred Services, Dank is a half-sister to two Group

1-winning highweights in Eagle Mountain and Sulk. Eagle Mountain scored his

signature win in the 2008 Hong Kong Cup. Sulk ranked as France's highweight

juvenile filly of 2001 by virtue of capturing the Prix Marcel Boussac, and she

was England's highweight staying filly courtesy of a second in the 2002 Prix

Royal Oak. Sulk went on to produce Dubai stakes winner and Group 2-placed Ibn

Battuta.

Dank is also a half-sister to multiple Group 3-placed stakes victor Wallace

and to the dams of Group 2-placed stakes winner Pimpernel and current

two-year-old Bye Bye Birdie, queen of the Curragh's Balanchine on June 30.

Dank's prolific dam is Masskana, a winning daughter of Darshaan and multiple

French Group 1 star Masarika. Masskana is herself a half-sister to Group 2

scorer Massyar and Grade 3 victor Madjaristan.

Click

here for the transcript with quotes from Dank's connections.

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