Shred the Gnar prevails in La Troienne

Flying Dutchman Breeding and Racing's Shred the Gnar came into Friday’s $1 million La Troienne S. (G1) at Churchill Downs off a very troubled trip in the Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream Park and made amends over a game Fully Subscribed.

Trained by Brian Lynch and piloted by Luis Saez, the four-year-old filly won by a hard-fought length.

Miss Justify took the field of 10 through rather meager fractions of :24.01, :48.54, and 1:12.36 with the eventual winner always right behind her and in the garden spot. Shred the Gnar gained the advantage over the pacesetter past a mile in 1:36.03, then had to fend off a determined Fully Subscribed. In the end, Shred the Gnar finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.24 on a fast main track.

It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Bless the Broken, and filling out the order of finish was Miss Justify, Chasten, Drexel Hill, Take Charge Omaha, Nerazurri, Dry Powder, and Scalable. Snowyte was scratched.

The win was especially satisfying for Lynch and for an even bigger reason.

“It’s a really good way to celebrate a birthday with a Grade 1.” he said. “She didn’t handle things well at Gulfstream Park but once we got her back here to Churchill she returned to the filly we knew she always was. She really touted herself coming into this race that she’d run a big race.”

Bred in Kentucky, Shred the Gnar is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Aspen Light, making her a full sister to multiple graded-stakes-winning and classic-placed Owendale (both by Into Mischief). She was sold for $610,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling and exits Friday’s race with four wins from six outings and $904,010 in earnings.

Earlier on the Friday card, Albaugh Family Stables’ homebred On Time Girl pulled away late to annex the $680,000 Eight Belles S. (G2) by 1 1/2 lengths. Under regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., the Brad Cox-trained filly earned her second graded triumph on the year.

On Time Girl, favored at just under 2-1 and breaking from the outside, stayed out of trouble as French Friction took the field of nine sophomore fillies through a quarter in :22.55 and a half in :45.48. Soon after, the pressure got to French Friction as On Time Girl reached the fore with little more than a furlong to go, passing six furlongs in 1:09.73 before finishing seven furlongs in 1:22.16 over a fast main track.

Luv Your Neighbor was next and followed past the line by Paradise, River Wind, Goodall, Sippin Pretty, Solemn Vow, Front Runnin, and French Friction. 

Friday’s score represented the second graded win for On Time Girl, whose previous top title was the Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream. The daughter of Not This Time now has five wins from seven starts and a bankroll of $842,455. 

On Time Girl was produced by the Grade 3-winning Uncle Mo mare Girl Daddy, who reportedly has a 2026 filly by Flightline.

Also on Friday, immediately preceding the Eight Belles, was the $474,000 Unbridled Sidney S. (G2), which was captured in authoritative fashion by Town and Country Racing's Moon Spun.

Under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, the five-year-old mare took an immediate lead from champion and heavily favored Shisospicy and stayed there, posting splits of :22.13, :44.60, and :55.77 before finishing 5 1/2 furlongs on a firm turf in 1:01.64.

Though Moon Spun drifted outward a bit in midstretch and switched to a left lead, she was never in danger of losing and finished three parts of a length in the clear.  Like Shred the Gnar, she also is conditioned by Lynch, making his birthday even better.

Following the winner under the wire were Shoot It True, Creed’s Gold, Queen Maxima, Time to Dazzle, Haulin Ice, and Shisospicy, who called it a day in upper stretch. Mae Town and Buttercream Babe were scratched.

Moon Spun, a daughter of Hard Spun, was acquired for $80,000 as a Fasig-Tipton October yearling and is the third foal out of the Malibu Moon mare Moonlit Bay.  She exits Friday’s triumph with a record of 11-6-3-1 and earnings of $656,560.

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