Regret

Martin Schwartz's LADY OF VENICE (Fr) (Loup Solitaire) continued her meteoric

rise in the sophomore fillies' turf ranks with a smashing four-length success in

the $229,000

Regret S. (G3) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. With Julien Leparoux in the

irons, the Patrick Biancone trainee relaxed in ninth during the early going, well in

arrears of a ferocious pace as Beau Dare (Military) rattled off splits of :22

4/5, :46 1/5, 1:10 3/5 and 1:35 1/5. By the top of the stretch, Lady of Venice

had advanced into striking range when she was blocked and had to steady briefly,

but the chestnut bulled her way between rivals and burst clear in a matter of

strides. Cruising home in a manner befitting a 4-5 shot, the stylish winner

stopped the teletimer in a stakes-record 1:47 1/5 for the 1 1/8 miles on firm turf and rewarded

her backers with payouts of $3.80, $2.40 and $2.20.

"My filly showed how good she is today," Leparoux said. "When she found her

spot, no one was going to catch her."

Magnificent Song (Unbridled's Song), just to the outside of the winner in

upper stretch and bumped by Lady of Venice as she muscled through, kept on

resolutely to finish best of the rest, a neck ahead of Precious Kitten (Catienus)

in third, who had a half-length to spare over a tiring Beau Dare in fourth. As

the nearly 3-1 second choice, Magnificent Song returned $3 and $2.60, while the

60-1 Precious Kitten yielded a dividend of $8.20. The exotics were worth $11.40

(exacta), $222.80 (trifecta) and $2,352 (1-3-7-5 superfecta).

May Night (Gulch), Best Mom (Chester House), Candy Ma'am (Lemon Drop Kid),

Nottawasaga (Deputy Minister), Fiery Dancer (Atticus) Red Cherries Spin (With

Approval) and Salty Response (Cozzene) completed the order of finish.

Produced by Lacewings (Forty Niner), Lady of Venice is a full sister to

French stakes winner Loup Masque. Her granddam, French stakes victress and Group

2-placed Lyphka (Lyphard), is herself a half-sister to champion and prominent

sire Soviet Star (Nureyev) and Grade 1-winning millionairess The Very One (One

for All).

The winner boasts a sterling mark of 5-4-1-0 with earnings of $238,499, her

lone blemish coming in her career debut in an allowance in France last

September. In her American bow, she scored a comprehensive victory in the

Appalachian S. at Keeneland.

Her next objective could be the July 2 American Invitational Oaks (G1) at Hollywood

Park, but Biancone is looking much further ahead.

"She's a lovely filly -- really, really good," the horseman said. "We've

taken our time with her and are going step by step. Hopefully she likes

Churchill and will be back here for the Breeders' Cup (Filly & Mare Turf [G1] on

November 4)."