Palomar BC

Intercontinental earned her first win "Where the turf meets the surf" (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

Juddmonte Farms' homebred INTERCONTINENTAL (GB) (Danehill) was guided to the

early lead by Jerry Bailey and led the rest of the way in Saturday's $180,000

Palomar Breeders' Cup H. (G2) at Del Mar. The five-year-old mare faced pressure

from Katdogawn (GB) (Bahhare) while setting splits of :23 4/5, :47 1/5 and 1:10

1/5, and then drew clear into the stretch and went unchallenged to the finish

line, crossing the wire 1 1/4 lengths better than runner-up Amorama (Fr) (Sri

Pekan).

Trained by Bobby Frankel, Intercontinental covered 1 1/16 miles over the firm

turf in 1:39 4/5 as the near 2-5 favorite and returned $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10 to her

many supporters. Amorama, who nipped Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause [GB]) by a

neck in the final jumps, was off at 7-2 and paid $2.40 and $2.10. Ticker Tape

gave back $2.10 at 11-1. The $1 exotics were paltry. The exacta totaled $3 and

the 2-1-5 trifecta was worth $9.60. Katdogawn and Cotopaxi (With Approval) rounded out the

order of finish. Flip Flop (Fr) (Zieten) was scratched.

Winner of the 2004 Matriarch S. (G1), Intercontinental posted her seventh

stakes win and Frankel's seventh Palomar victory while improving her overall mark to 20-11-3-4 with $1,253,263 in

earnings. Out of the stakes-winning Hasili (Kahyasi), the bay mare counts

multiple champion Banks Hill (GB), English and French highweight Dansili (GB)

and Group 2 winner Cacique as full siblings, and multiple Grade 1 heroine Heat Haze

(GB) (Green Desert) as a half-sister. Intercontinental also has an unraced juvenile

half-brother named Champs Elysees.