Filly & Mare Turf Diary

FILLY & MARE TURF DIARY

AUGUST 19, 2006

by Kellie Reilly

Last Saturday's Beverly D. S. (G1) promised to establish a clear

hierarchy among the turf distaffers, with the three leading claimants to the

throne all engaged, and the 1 3/16-mile affair at Arlington Park didn't

disappoint as GORELLA (Fr) (Grape Tree Road [GB]) seized the mantle of

divisional leadership in convincing fashion. Trainer Patrick Biancone had made

no secret of his high regard for her, rating the four-year-old chestnut as the

best turf filly in the country, and she handsomely rewarded his faith.

Just recounting the bare facts -- her 1 3/4-length margin of

victory, her sharp final time of 1:53 3/5, two ticks off the 16-year-old course

record -- can't convey the utter supremacy of Gorella's performance. Jockey

Julien Leparoux rode her with sublime confidence, knowing that she was the best

horse in the race and allowing her to prove it. Breaking rather leisurely from

the rail, Leparoux gave her all the time in the world to get her legs under her

as she cantered in the rear. Leparoux didn't fret about swinging her out wide on

the far turn and losing ground, certain in the knowledge that she would inhale

her opponents if only kept in the clear and free of trouble, and so it proved.

If you haven't seen Gorella's blistering turn of foot in the stretch of the

Beverly D., you've missed a thing of beauty. As she blasted past a top-quality

field, the chestnut created an optical illusion, as though a split screen were

displaying films of different speeds. This was a world class effort over a

distance longer than she'd hitherto tried, and it has given rise to a delicious

Breeders' Cup dilemma: take a second stab in the Mile (G1) versus males, or step

up slightly more in trip for the Filly & Mare Turf (G1)?

Three others turned in commendable efforts in defeat in the

Beverly D., chief among them FILM MAKER (Dynaformer). A first-rate

performer in this division for the past three years, the Graham Motion mare was

short of room at a crucial point in the stretch and had to steady off heels.

This incident no doubt cost her valuable momentum, but she did burst free late

for second. Had she benefited from a free passage throughout, she would have

finished closer to Gorella. Close enough to give her a real tussle? I think not.

California shipper LIVE LIFE (Fr) (Linamix) ran an honorable race to save

third after carving out a legitimate pace for this trip, a performance that

redeemed the West Coast form for me. HONEY RYDER (Lasting Approval), try

though she might, just didn't have that lethal speed needed for 1 3/16 miles and

had to settle for fourth. The Todd Pletcher mare had scored three graded stakes

wins this season at 1 3/8 miles and beyond in her grinding, war of attrition

style that's much better suited to extended distances, and she's sure to rebound

over her preferred trip next time out. All in all, Honey Ryder still turned in a

creditable effort.

Friday's Lake Placid S. (G2) at Saratoga may be termed a

"mini-Beverly D." for the sophomore set, as it featured runaway American Oaks

Invitational S. (G1) heroine WAIT A WHILE (Maria's Mon) and the other

with strong claims to rank as head of the class, LADY OF VENICE (Fr)

(Loup Solitaire), and the outcome

was just as decisive. The lack of an

honest early pace in the Lake Placid conspired against Lady of Venice, but take

nothing away from Wait a While, whose dominating victory looked like a replay of

the American Oaks. After stalking the early leader, the Pletcher trainee surged

clear in the stretch to produce another visually impressive display of pure

power. Lady of Venice offered a tepid rally for second, but at no point did Wait

a While ever hear threatening hoofbeats from behind. Pletcher said afterward

that Wait a While's ultimate objective could be the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare

Turf, which was fairly predictable, or even the Mile, which was not. Now

proven against all comers on both coasts, Wait a While reigns over her own age

group and would match up well with many of the older brigade, if one can use

Lady of Venice as a very rough yardstick.

In her prior start, Lady of Venice was fifth when tackling older

females in the Diana H. (G1). Her most challenging opponent that day may not have been

another horse, but rather the yielding ground that she just couldn't quicken on,

unable to get the traction necessary for her usually devastating acceleration. The rain

led horseman Bill Mott to call an audible and run ANGARA (GB) (Alzao),

who revels in the soft going. His clever, last-minute decision to forego the

Beverly D. and take advantage of the ground paid dividends when Angara uncorked

a riveting stretch run to overhaul SWEET TALKER (Stormin Fever) by a head

at the line. Another nose back came ARGENTINA (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who

turned in arguably her best effort so far in the United States. Better ground

may well have produced a different result. Still, Angara deserves enormous

respect whenever the clouds open up.

Looking ahead, Saturday's Del Mar Oaks (G1) will offer ATTIMA

(GB) (Zafonic) another opportunity to break through at Grade 1 level against

mostly familiar foes, but next Saturday's Ballston Spa H. (G2) holds even more

appeal for me as it marks the first graded stakes outing of 2006 for KAREN'S

CAPER (War Chant). Loyal readers may remember that I've been banging the

drum for the Stonerside Stable homebred, an English Group 3 winner who was two

excruciating noses away from being a Grade/Group 1 queen last year. In her

seasonal reappearance in Saratoga's 3RD race on July 28, her first start for

Bobby Frankel, Karen's Caper was slowly away from the gate, hung out four wide

on the clubhouse turn, endured a wide trip the rest of the way, and to top it

all off, she threw her right front shoe at some point in the one-mile inner turf

allowance. After all that, she wound up fourth, beaten a total of 2 1/4 lengths

in an effort that should set her up well for this target. Other nominees for the

1 1/16-mile affair include the regally bred MY TYPHOON (Ire) (Giant's

Causeway) representing Mott, and Sweet Talker, who prevailed over Karen's Caper

by a whisker in the 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1).

Who was third in the three-way photo that day? Gorella!