Partisan Politics prevails in P.G. Johnson

Partisan Politics earned her first career victory in Wednesday's $100,000

P.G.

Johnson at Saratoga,

overcoming early trouble to win going away by 2 3/4 lengths. Javier Castellano

was up on the Chad Brown-trained juvenile filly.

A neck third when making her career bow in a 5 1/2-furlong turf maiden

special weight, the daughter of More Than Ready stretched out to 1 1/16 miles on

turf for her second start and paid $11.20 to win as the 9-2 fourth choice among

seven rivals.

"It got rough a little bit in the beginning of the race," Casltellano said.

"I was able to put her in a good spot today. I think the first (race) was too

short for her. Now (Brown) put her in at a mile and a sixteenth and she was very

comfortable today.

"I was very honored to win the race. I knew P.G. Johnson very well in the

past. He was such a great guy, a very honest guy."

The race honors late Hall of Fame trainer P.G. Johnson, who conditioned 2002

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Volponi and won training titles at all three NYRA

tracks.

Partisan Politics settled just off the pace at the break and was bumped hard

by Ancient Goddess, who carried several rivals wide as she swerved out under a

heavy hold from Joel Rosario entering the first turn.

After the early interference, Partisan Politics relaxed a few lengths off the

early pace in fourth as Sunday Sonnet showed the way on a clear lead through

splits of :24 3/5 and :49 1/5. The pacesetter began to edge away on the far

turn, passing the three-quarters mark in 1:13 1/5 with a two-length lead, but

could not sustain her advantage in the final furlongs.

Partisan Politics was asked by Castellano rounding the bend and accelerated

three wide into the contention entering the stretch. She collared Sunday Sonnet

with about a sixteenth of a mile remaining and drove clear late, stopping the

teletimer in 1:43.

Owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, the chestnut filly has now

earned $68,300 from her two career outing.

"We spoke about it in the paddock, Javier and I, and we really wanted the

spot the No. 1 (Ancient Goddess) was in going into the first turn," Brown said.

"Handicapping the race, I thought there were two speed horses, and I knew that

European horses generally don't break well first time out, so I said, 'See if

you can break and get right in the pocket.' That's the trip I wanted, and maybe

wait for a hole turning for home. When the No. 1 got my spot and (Partisan

Politics) was four wide, I was not happy.

"I'm really proud of this horse, for her to go wide the whole way and still

power home and win convincingly. I wasn't positive she wanted to go a mile and a

sixteenth quite yet; that's why I debuted her sprinting. I thought today we

would have had to save a little more ground to win, but she didn't need it; she

got a wide trip and still won."

Sunday Sonnet easily held the place, a length better than Ancient Goddess in

third. Next came Rainha Da Bateria, Magnificent Margo, 3-1 favorite Flying Tipat

and Slava.

Bred in Kentucky Dell Ridge Farm LLC, Partisan Politics was purchased for

$175,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. She's out of the Grade

2-placed Dynaformer mare Bluegrass Princess, who hails from the multiple

stakes-winning mare America America.

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