Starstruck repeats in Matchmaker

"I've been watching the races all day," Clark said, "and speed looked like

it's been holding on turf, so I wanted to be as close as possible without using

her. Around the turn, I wasn't sure if we'd be able to get through and I was

just hoping it would split open. It did, and she ran well." 

Irish Mission took runner-up honors by 1 1/4 lengths from 9-5 favorite

Watsdachances, who closed late for third.

The top three finishers receive stallion seasons from sponsor

WinStar Farm, with the

stallions being 2012 Haskell hero Paynter, Artie Schiller and Drosselmeyer.

She's Not Lazy ended up fourth, followed by Emotional Kitten, who made a big

move from last while wide on the far turn before flattening out; Primed for

Passion; Medea; Nashly's Vow; Dido; and Lady Aspen. Parting Kiss was scratched.

Starstruck returned $13 to win and boosted her own bankroll to $265,380 from

her 18-4-2-3 line. Bred in Ireland by the late Mrs. C.L. Weld, and originally

trained by Dermot Weld, Starstruck did not appear on the racecourse until her

sophomore season in 2012. The chestnut took six tries to break her maiden,

finally accomplishing that in a handicap over Dundalk's Polytrack. She next

stepped up to stakes company in the Carlingford at the same course and about 1

5/16-mile trip and checked in a creditable fourth.

Subsequently acquired by Calumet, the chestnut made her first start in the

United States last year in an allowance at Churchill Downs, winning by 5 1/4

lengths. Her two ensuing starts likewise came on the Churchill turf, where she

placed twice versus similar before her breakthrough in the 2013 Matchmaker.

Starstruck rounded out her campaign with a pair of fourths in the Rodeo Drive at

Santa Anita and the Cardinal back at Churchill.

Over the winter at Fair Grounds, Starstruck finished third in both the

January 18 Marie Krantz Memorial and the February 22 Bayou Handicaps. She was an

uncharacteristic fifth, beaten 11 lengths by Somali Lemonade and Watsdachances,

in the May 17 Gallorette at Pimlico in her start prior to her mishap at

Delaware.

Starstruck was sold for $141,363 as a yearling at

Tattersalls October.

She is out of English highweight Agnetha, who ranked as the top three-year-old

filly sprinter of 2002 on the strength of her victory in the King George at

Goodwood. Agnetha is a full sister to German highweight sprinter and sire Areion

as well as Irish Group 3-placed stakes scorer Anna Frid.

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