Filly & Mare Turf Diary J

FILLY & MARE TURF DIARY

by Kellie Reilly

Recent developments have underscored the strength of the June 7 Just a Game

S. (G1), eminently justifying its elevation to Grade 1 status this season.

Graduating from that Belmont fixture were the smashing winner of the Diana S.

(G1) at Saratoga, and the should-have-been-the-winner of the CashCall Mile

Invitational S. (G2) at Hollywood Park. Also in this issue, we'll review a few

impressive performances from the three-year-olds.

Star performer: FOREVER TOGETHER (Belong to Me), who had been a

closing third to VENTURA (Chester House) in the one-mile Just a Game, humbled a

strong field going nine furlongs in the July 26 Diana. Tenth and last through

the opening half-mile, the Jonathan Sheppard trainee took flight in the stretch

and overwhelmed DYNAFORCE (Dynaformer) by a thoroughly convincing three-quarters

of a length. By blazing her final eighth in roughly :11, Forever Together just

plain outkicked her more accomplished rivals -- RUTHERIENNE (Pulpit), who

trudged in third, 3 1/2 lengths behind Dynaforce; fourth-placer VACARE (Lear

Fan); and champion WAIT A WHILE (Maria's Mon), who wound up seventh in her first

start since January.

Unlike the Just a Game, which was a messy race with a cluster of hard-luck

stories, the Diana was a straightforward, cleanly run affair. The ground, which

had absorbed plenty of rain earlier in the week, was upgraded to good. Indeed,

the very fact that the firm-turf-loving Wait a While did not scratch was a

strong hint that the course was in good shape, and not on the soft side. So,

barring some physical problem coming to light as an excuse for any of her

victims, Forever Together simply demolished them, fair and square, with a

sparkling turn of foot, in a final time of 1:46 2/5.

The winner of the Forward Gal S. (G2) on the dirt last year, the gray has

made giant strides since Sheppard switched her to the turf in May. Forever

Together landed her grass debut in the Reluctant Guest S. at Arlington prior to

her encouraging third in the Just a Game. She has now proven her class, but the

distance question must still be resolved before she can fulfill her Breeders'

Cup aspirations. According to Sheppard, Forever Together could tackle 1 1/4

miles for the first time in the September 27 Flower Bowl Invitational (G1) at

Belmont. Given her total switching-off early in the Diana, the stiffening

presence of her broodmare sire Relaunch, and her deep female line, the

probabilities are in her favor.

Finding a way to lose: Forever Together's Diana coup might have been

taken as a compliment to Ventura, her conqueror in the Just a Game. But since

Ventura went on to fritter away certain victory in the July 5 CashCall Mile,

she's too frustratingly self-willed to be relied upon.

Early in the CashCall, Ventura was throwing her head around and generally

giving Garrett Gomez a tough time. No harm, I thought, since she had done the

same thing in the Just a Game. In the stretch, when Gomez urged her on, Ventura

did not merely go forward -- she seemed to lurch at first while shifting her

weight. After briefly organizing herself in this way, she stormed past DIAMOND

DIVA (GB) (Dansili [GB]) and looked set for a smart score. Then, in the waning

yards, she abruptly tapped the brakes, stopped reaching out for the wire, and

gave a fine impression of being distracted. I don't blame Gomez for this

predicament, for he has been her regular rider thus far, he knows her quirks, he

was trying to coax her, and giving her another crack of the whip may well have

been counterproductive.

To her everlasting credit, Diamond Diva had never given up after being

passed, but kept plugging away on the inside. As Ventura lost her concentration,

Diamond Diva's workmanlike persistence paid off, and she got up in time to

snatch the victory by a nose. Nor was this merely a matter of winning on the

head-bob, for she was edging away from Ventura past the wire as well. Diamond

Diva was getting four pounds from the runner-up, but the real differential was

one of attitude.

Diamond Diva's never-say-die mindset reminded me of something that tennis

legend John McEnroe has often said -- "If you stick your racket out, good things

can happen." No matter how good your opponent's shot, no matter how poor your

position, you have to do your best to keep the point going and make your

opponent finish the job. In tennis terms, Ventura blew Diamond Diva off the

court for a moment, but Diamond Diva stuck her racket out, got the ball back in

play, and Ventura casually dumped it in the net. It would be fascinating to see

a rematch between these two, but with Ventura back East and Diamond Diva on the

easy list with foot issues, it's not clear when, or if, that will take place.

Defending CashCall champion LADY OF VENICE (Fr) (Loup Solitaire) checked in

third, 2 1/4 lengths adrift of the theater up front. She may want to go longer

than a flat mile at this stage of her career.

Prepping for Arlington: Two recent stakes figure to serve as stepping

stones to Saturday's Beverly D. S. (G1) at Arlington. The July 12 Modesty H.

(G3), held at the same course and 1 3/16-mile distance as the Beverly D.,

produced a solid display from COMMUNIQUE (Smart Strike), who rallied well on the

soft ground and ran out a strong 3 3/4-length winner. Trainer Rusty Arnold was

originally hesitant about committing the improving four-year-old to the Beverly

D., with the Glens Falls H. (G3) on Labor Day at Saratoga an alternative spot.

Although I can well understand the class concerns, considering that multiple

Grade 1 star PRECIOUS KITTEN (Catienus), the streaking MAURALAKANA (Fr) (Muhtathir

[GB]) and champion DREAMING OF ANNA (Rahy) will be lying in wait in the Beverly

D., Communique is already a multiple Grade 3 winner. Another Grade 3 title, even

at the lofty Spa, would not enhance her broodmare value as much as a Grade 1

placing. With her affinity for Arlington already established, I'm glad that

Arnold is now inclined toward giving her a shot at the Beverly D.

On July 12 at Delaware Park, the Robert G. Dick Memorial H. (G3) witnessed a

shocking upset. The defending champion and 1-5 favorite, ROSINKA (Ire) (Soviet

Star), attempted to repeat her front-running tactics that worked in 2007. But

this time, no pedestrian fractions were allowed. Rosinka ratcheted up the early

pace when pressed, tried to shoot clear turning for home, but then cocked her

head, raced a little erratically, tired through the stretch and finished third.

As she wilted, the 20-1 PALMILLA (Crowd Pleaser) asserted herself to claim the

spoils in this newly promoted Grade 3 event. Rosinka is far, far better than

this, and her defeat probably has a lot to do with the fact that she went too

fast through a couple of those early quarter-miles. At this writing, horseman

Graham Motion is likely to enter Rosinka in the Beverly D.

On the upswing: GENUINE DEVOTION (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire])

extended her winning streak to four when posting a wire-to-wire victory in the

July 6 Locust Grove H. (G3) at Churchill Downs. Although the Kiaran McLaughlin

filly got away with steady fractions, she did not get a free pass on the front

end, but was hounded every step of the way. Genuine Devotion spurted away from

the field in the stretch, but the utterly dependable BROWNIE POINTS (Forest

Wildcat) gave her a scare when she unleashed her trademark late run. The wire

came in time for Genuine Devotion, who was receiving five pounds from the

runner-up. Considering that this one-mile test was her first attempt at two

turns, Genuine Devotion acquitted herself well, but it's doubtful that she would

be asked to go much farther. Furthermore, she's got a way to go to match the

massive star potential of her juvenile half-brother, the undefeated

Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer), who routed his rivals in the July 27 Phoenix

S. (Ire-G1) for Aidan O'Brien.

Top sophomore: PURE CLAN (Pure Prize) is the pro tem leader of the

three-year-old filly brigade after taking the July 5 American Oaks Invitational

(G1) in admirable style at Hollywood Park. Settled well off the early pace by

Julien Leparoux, the Bob Holthus trainee gradually put herself into the race

down the backstretch. Pure Clan steadily advanced along the rail, improving her

position on her own initiative, but not pulling or dragging. Midway on the far

turn, she was just behind the leaders, matching strides with French shipper

SATAN'S CIRCUS (Gone West) to her outside, and Leparoux began asking Pure Clan

for more run.

Up until this point, her rail-skimming trip had been an advantage, but as the

turn led into the stretch, it suddenly turned into a detriment. In front of Pure

Clan were the tiring leaders, who were blocking her path and stalling her

momentum. There was no escape route to her outside, for Satan's Circus was in

the process of sweeping by and taking the lead. After being stuck in a holding

pattern, Pure Clan finally found a sliver of room between the two weakening

pacesetters, and she did not hesitate to charge right through it and overpower

Satan's Circus. The farther Pure Clan went, the stronger she looked, pulling

away by three-quarters of a length at the wire to extend her turf record to

four-for-four.

Thus for the third straight year, the American Oaks went to a filly with

strong form on the dirt. Although her margin of victory was identical to that of

last year's heroine, Panty Raid, Pure Clan's manner of victory was much more

authoritative. And although she did not pulverize her rivals the way Wait a

While did in 2006, Pure Clan promises to follow her lead and become a long-term

presence in this division. Holthus plans to keep her among her own age group for

now, with the August 16 Del Mar Oaks (G1) her next likely engagement, and the

October 11 Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland

another objective down the road.

Waiting in the wings: Another with the QEII on her agenda is MY

PRINCESS JESS (Stormy Atlantic), who has developed a killer instinct of late.

Purchased by Lael Stables (of Barbaro fame) and transferred to Barclay Tagg

after her victory in the May 8 Gaviola S. at Belmont, the dark bay has won both

of her starts for her new connections, each in contrasting ways. In the June 28

Boiling Springs S. (G3) at Monmouth, My Princess Jess made an impressive move on

the far turn while still in hand, opened up by 3 1/2 lengths in midstretch, and

held off the deep-closing MUCH OBLIGED (Kingmambo) by a neck at the wire. The

final time was a smashing 1:39 4/5 for 1 1/16 miles.

My Princess Jess followed up in dramatically different fashion in the July 25

Lake George S. (G2) at Saratoga, leading me to dub her "Joltin' Jess." Smothered

on the inside, she was denied the opportunity to blow the race apart entering

the stretch this time. Instead, she was closeted behind ALWAJEEHA (Dixieland

Band) and the pacesetter STEALIN' KISSES (Sky Mesa) until midstretch, when a

seam opened up. Like Pure Clan in the American Oaks, My Princess Jess roared

through en route to a convincing score. Unlike Pure Clan, however, she slammed

the filly to her inside, Stealin' Kisses, before disposing of Alwajeeha by

three-quarters of a length.

Joltin' Jess left no doubt of her supremacy as she finished her final

sixteenth in a shade less than :6 on the soft inner turf. But while she was

incontestably the moral winner, she was not certain to be declared the official

winner until the stewards conducted an inquiry into the mugging of Stealin'

Kisses, who never recovered from the body blow and reported home fifth. I was a

little surprised that there was no change, primarily because it could be argued

that Stealin' Kisses lost a placing -- she was definitely beaten by the top two

when the interference occurred, but she was still sticking on gamely on the

rail, and it's no open-and-shut case that she was bound to be fifth anyway. What

is certain is that she lost any possibility of a better placing once she bounced

off the rail, clipped heels, bobbled and checked. In any event, I've seen horses

disqualified, wrongly, for much less than this -- why were they not given the

same latitude accorded to Joltin' Jess? Suffice it to say that consistency in

these sorts of rulings would be nice.

Finally, on a less controversial note, we must credit I LOST MY CHOO (Western

Expression) with a barnstorming late run in the July 19 Virginia Oaks (G3) at

Colonial Downs. Under a perfectly judged ride by Edgar Prado, the Phil Serpe

trainee inhaled the one-time runaway leader in deep stretch and cruised to a 1

1/2-length score. I Lost My Choo still has something to prove against the likes

of Pure Clan and My Princess Jess, but she's on an upward curve at present.

On the horizon: Our next issue will preview the likely field for the

Beverly D.