Distaff Diary

DISTAFF DIARY

OCTOBER 5, 2005

by Hunter T. Houlihan

On both the West and the East Coasts, Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) hopefuls had

some of their last opportunities to prep for the October 29 World Thoroughbred

Championships this past weekend. Belmont Park played host to the storied Beldame

S. (G1) while the Oak Tree meeting's Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup H. (G2) at

Santa Anita provided California-based fillies and mares a chance to get one more

race under their belt before shipping cross country to take on the best in their

division.

The 2005 form of ASHADO (Saint Ballado) has been an anomaly compared to her

championship three-year-old season. She opened this year's campaign with the

first off-the-board finish of her career and came back to finish second against

a relatively weak bunch of Grade 3 rivals. The Todd Pletcher trainee rebounded with two

Grade 1 victories in a row before again missing the board with a fourth in the

Personal Ensign (G1) two back, and although she was sent off the 8-5 favorite in

the Beldame, the dark bay miss was no guarantee.

A half-length winner in the

end, Ashado held off a game HAPPY TICKET (Anet) in the final jumps but did not

necessarily assert herself as the divisional leader. Three-year-old leader SWEET

SYMPHONY (A.P. Indy) finished fourth, and her dominance is questionable as well.

It appears as though the Distaff could be one of the most wide-open races on the

Breeders' Cup card if you can look past the likely favorite, Ashado.

More on that next time.

The Lady's Secret drew the best females in the west, but most of the

hard-knocking fillies and mares are Grade 1 winners from years past who may be

beyond their prime. The usual cast of VALENTINE DANCER (In Excess [Ire]),

HOLLYWOOD STORY (Wild Rush), STAR PARADE (Arg) (Parade Marshal) and 8-5 favorite

ISLAND FASHION (Petionville) assembled for the 1 1/16-mile affair, but 1:42 1/5

later, HEALTHY ADDICTION (Boston Harbor) crossed the wire a half-length winner.

The John Sadler-conditioned four-year-old was coming off back-to-back victories

in listed stakes races at Del Mar, but had never broken through against graded

company. Under the red-hot Garrett Gomez, who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup S.

(G1) in impressive fashion the previous day aboard Borrego (El Prado [Ire]), the

dark bay miss lead nearly from gate to wire but was collared by Island Fashion

in the final furlong before showing her heart and fighting back for the victory.

Healthy Addiction is a new threat in her division.

The sophomore fillies had an lucrative Grade 3 contest in the $405,100

Indiana Breeders' Cup Oaks and an upset in the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion H. (G2) at

Philadelphia Park over the weekend. FLYING GLITTER (Glitterman) won the Oaks,

while the heavily favored INDIAN VALE (A.P. Indy) finished fifth by 18 lengths

under Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero to NOTHING BUT FUN (Dixie Union) in the

Cotillion. While neither is likely for the Distaff, we'll keep an eye on them in

their next start.

The opening-weekend card at Keeneland includes the Spinster S. (G1) for

fillies and mares, and we're looking forward to ISOLA PIU BELLA (Chi) (Rich

Man's Gold), BENDING STRINGS (American Chance), INDY GROOVE (A.P. Indy) or

HALORY LEIGH (Halory Hunter) using the nine-furlong event as a last prep for the

Distaff. Next week we'll recap the race and start to narrow down the Distaff

field.