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FILLY & MARE SPRINT
Last Updated Nov. 3, 2009
|
|
Post |
Horse |
ML |
Jockey |
A |
Owner |
Trainer |
|
1 |
Free Flying Soul (KY) |
50-1 |
M. Smith |
4 |
Marsha Naify |
Bruce Headley |
|
2 |
Sara Louise (KY) |
9-2 |
L. Dettori |
3 | Godolphin Stable | Saeed bin Suroor |
|
3 |
Game Face (KY) |
10-1 |
E. Prado |
4 | Zabeel Racing Int'l | Todd Pletcher |
|
4 |
Only Green (IRE) |
20-1 |
O. Peslier |
3 |
Wertheimer et Frere |
Freddy Head |
|
5 |
Silver Swallow (FL) |
30-1 |
A. Solis |
5 |
Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd., Bruce Headley, Irwin Molasky |
Bruce Headley |
|
6 |
Evita Argentina (KY) |
20-1 |
J. Rosario |
3 | Halo Farms & Three Sisters T'breds | John Sadler |
|
7 |
Informed Decision (KY) |
5-2 |
J. Leparoux |
4 | Augustin Stable | Jonathan Sheppard |
|
8 |
Seventh Street (KY) |
4-1 |
R. Maragh |
4 | Godolphin Stable | Saeed bin Suroor |
|
9 |
Ventura (KY) |
8-5 |
G. Gomez |
5 | Juddmonte Farms | Bobby Frankel |
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EVITA ARGENTINA
FREE FLYING SOUL
GAME FACE
INFORMED DECISION
ONLY GREEN
SARA LOUISE
SEVENTH STREET
SILVER SWALLOW
VENTURA
EVITA ARGENTINA (KY)
Trainer: John Sadler
Owner: Halo Farms & Three Sisters Thoroughbred
Breeder: Halo Farms
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Candy Ride (ARG), Ride the Rails, Candy Girl (ARG))
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Jealous Wildcat (Forest Wildcat, Jealous Sword)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 1-2-4-1-0 (8) 1.67
Age: 3
July 18, Grade II A Gleam Handicap, Hollywood Park, Seven Furlongs. Evita Argentina rallied from last of nine to win, scoring by two lengths over Silver Swallow. Lady Lumberjack finished third, and the favorite, Coco Belle, faded from the lead to finish sixth.
Evita Argentina, a 3-year-old, beat older horses. She got the distance in 1:21.80 with Joel Rosario up.
"I rode her last time going longer, and she really didn't have much punch in the stretch," Rosario said. "I think she's better going short. Today, when I asked her, she really responded."
Sept. 4, Grade III Rancho Bernardo Handicap, Del Mar, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Evita Argentina didn't fare very well in this one, finishing sixth, beaten 7 3/4 lengths by Carlsbad. As usual, she was off slowly. She bobbled, too, and just never got it into gear. Carlsbad won in 1:14.93. Joel Rosario was again on Evita Argentina.
GAME FACE (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Zabeel Racing International
Breeder: Marilyn F. Seltzer
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Menifee (Harlan, Anne Campbell)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Galleon of Gold (Gone West, Harbour Club)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 10-5-8-1-0 (24) 3.80
Age: 4
July 11, Grade I Princess Rooney Handicap, Calder, Six Furlongs. Game Face, already a multiple graded stakes winner, got her first Grade I victory after shipping in from New York.
Ridden by jockey Edgar Prado, Game Face broke from post six of six and raced in fourth position in the early going. She edged closer to the leaders nearing the turn and gained command at the quarter pole. Game Face drew off to win by 6 3/4 lengths over Keep the Peace in second, with local hope Orinoquia another 1 1/4 length back in third. Dubai Majesty, the 2-1 second choice, finished last.
Game Face, the 9-5 favorite, covered the six furlongs in 1:10.74--a half-second faster than Eaton's Gift ran in the Smile one race later.
Omar Trevino, Racing Manager, Zabeel Racing: “In the Vagrancy, I think she just ran back a little too close (22 days) and she didn’t seem to like (Belmont Park) all that much when she ran in the Acorn there last year. She’s trained great since (the Vagrancy), and the seven weeks between then and this race I think made a big difference.”
Edgar Prado, jockey: “This was the first time that I rode this filly, and she seemed to respond to me pretty well. The first thing that I noticed about her was that she wanted to run a bit too early, but she rated for me, and it was all about finishing strong from there.”
Aug. 9, Grade II Honorable Miss Handicap, Saratoga, Six Furlongs. Game Face didn’t employ her usual stalking style, but she had no trouble galloping home to a 1 1/2-length victory. She made it look easy.
Sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the field of six, Game Face broke sharply under Edgar Prado and pressed pacesetting Keep the Peace through early fractions of :22.76 and :45.74, surging to the lead in the stretch to cross the wire in 1:10.70 for the six furlongs.
Keep the Peace, who last ran second to Game Face in the Grade I Princess Rooney on July 11 at Calder, hung on for the place, followed by P.S.U. Grad, Porte Bonheur, Lady Chace and All Giving.
Winning trainer Todd Pletcher: “It didn’t unfold exactly like we’d planned. She seems to like stalking, but she broke so sharply and put herself in a good spot and Edgar maintained his position. She ran a big race. She’s a very genuine filly, she shows up almost every time.”
Sept. 12, Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, Presque Isle Downs, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Sent off at 4-5 against some good ones, Informed Decision won by 2 1/2 decisive lengths, timed in 1:15.10. Meanwhile, Game Face was fourth on the synthetic surface after racing on the inside.
Second was Sweet Lorena (17-1), followed a half-length by Flashing (7-1) and a neck by Game Face (9-2).
The chart call: "Game Face on the inside heading into the turn, saved ground then swung out to be four wide in mid stretch and finished well,"--which is a bit deceptive, because she lost a little ground to the winner in the final furlong.
INFORMED DECISION (KY)
Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard
Owner: Augustin Stable
Breeder: C. Kidder & N. Cole
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Monarchos (Maria's Mon, Regal Band)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Palangana (His Majesty, Countess North)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 3-1-18-0-2 (24) 1.18
Age: 4
Going into the Ballerina, Informed Decision had won her last five races, all at seven furlongs, including the Grade I Humana Distaff Stakes on a muddy track at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day, the Grade I Vinery Madison Stakes at Keeneland, and a really easy win in the Grade III Chicago Handicap at Arlington.
On Aug. 26, trainer Sheppard said, “She’s been a pleasant surprise. Many of our better horses seem to be turf horses, and this one is dirt. She’s pretty aggressive, and even though she runs well on conventional dirt, she particularly seems to like the synthetic. Our horse has speed. She went to the front at Arlington Park the last time because there wasn’t very much speed in that race, so she can go wherever the jockey wants to be, really.”
Aug. 29, Grade I Ballerina, Saratoga, Seven Furlongs. Informed Decision (6-5) was third, beaten 6 1/4 lengths by Music Note on a sloppy track. She contested the early pace with Indian Blessing but soon started dropping back.
Indian Blessing (6-5) was second, but Music Note (5-1) came out on top. After pressing and dueling for the lead--and shaking off the early contenders--Indian Blessing was passed on the inside on the turn by the winner. After briefly dueling with Music Note, she was beaten 5 1/4 lengths to a time of 1:22.10.
Jonathan Sheppard, trainer of Informed Decision: “We’re a little disappointed. I think the track condition may have been a factor.”
Six days later, here's what Sheppard had to say: “It seemed to be mostly (that she didn’t like the muddy track), but also the way the race set up was a little funny. She went out there and went through the motions, but it didn’t really take anything out of her. We’re toying with the idea of running her back shortly, that’s how well she’s doing.”
Sheppard said the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint remained the ultimate goal for the filly.
Sept. 12, Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, Presque Isle Downs, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Sent off at 4-5 against some good ones, Informed Decision won by 2 1/2 decisive lengths, timed in 1:15.10.
Second was Sweet Lorena (17-1), followed a half-length by Flashing (7-1) and a neck by Game Face (9-2).
The chart call: "Informed Decision was well placed while racing three wide, rallied on the turn then moved up to gained command in upper stretch, drew off in mid stretch and was clearly best."
Oct. 10, Grade II Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, Keeneland, Six Furlongs. Favored at 3-5 odds, Informed Decision loped wide down the stretch to overtake Carlsbad in the late stages.
Behind opening fractions of :22.39 and :45.11, Infomed Decision was sixth in the eight-horse field going around the turn. Julien Leparoux swung her wide entering the stretch, but Carlsbad, an Arizona-bred trained by Jeff Mullins had gotten the jump on her. Under vigorous right-hand urging, Informd Decsion began cutting into Carlsbad's lead and got up for the win just beyond the shadow of the wire.
As she neared Carlsbad, Informed Decision left near the center of the course and edged to her left. She hit the wire in a final time of 1:09.03.
Informed Decision ran her overall record to 10 wins in 12 starts, with two thirds. At the six-furlong distance of the TCA, Informed Decision has only run three times, with two wins and a third. She's more accustomed to going seven furlongs.
With a pronounced liking for Keeneland, the 4-year-old filly won her fourth race there in as many starts.
Julien Leparoux, rider of winner Informed Decision: “She’s really special; she’s amazing. She’s got this kick on the Poly that’s amazing. She always does the same thing. Even at Churchill, when she won the Humana Distaff, we didn’t think we were going to win at the eighth pole and she won. Today was the same. She has a kick that’s amazing. That’s the best thing for her.”
Jonathan Sheppard, trainer of winner Informed Decision: “I was a little nervous turning for home. She was just a tad settled back in behind horses. Knowing that seven-eighths is really her specialty, I figured she was going to finish strong. Sure enough, she came down the stretch pretty good and finished up well.”
George Strawbridge Jr., owner of Augustin Stable, Informed Decision: “She never ceases to amaze me. There have been so many races … today, I thought she was beat at the quarter pole. At Churchill in the Humana, I thought she was beat at the eighth pole. Her speed really does surprise me.”
SARA LOUISE (KY)
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Paul F. Gardner
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy, Macoumba)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): King's Lynn (Mt. Livermore, Til Forbid)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 8-5-11-0-0 (24) 3.36
Age: 3
Fourth in her 2-year-old debut at Saratoga in August, 2008, Sara Louise broke her maiden next time out, then posted a 3 3/4-length victory over Rachel Alexandra in the one-turn, Grade III Pocahontas at Churchill Downs on Nov. 1. In her final start of 2008, she was 4 3/4 lengths behind Rachel Alexandra in the two-turn, Grade II Golden Rod at Churchill. She then wintered in Dubai.
Aug. 29, Grade III Victory Ride Stakes, Saratoga, Six Furlongs. Sara Louise made her first start of 2009 a winning one, powering past the pacesetters in the stretch and going on to a two-length victory over Bold Union to take Saturday’s Grade III, $110,000 Victory Ride Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Under Edgar Prado, the 3-year-old sat not far behind pressured fractions of :21.95 and :44.81 set by Bold Union, then moved into striking position on the turn before launching her late run and hitting the wire in 1:09.66 for six furlongs over a sloppy track.
Saeed bin Suroor, winning trainer: "When she was in Dubai, she had tiny problems. She had tendon problems in both of her front legs. We gave her time. The filly was doing really well. She was working well. She has tactical speed. I talked to Edgar, and he said she can go a mile. The filly has class.
"(The sloppy track) was a question mark before the race. We couldn't wait too long until September. She needed the race, and she'll improve from this race. We'll have to wait on (the possibility of another meeting with Rachel Alexandra). She's in a different class now. Our filly beat her before. We'll have to wait until the right time.”
Edgar Prado: “It was a beautiful trip. She broke real sharp. I was able to get in a little hole and see what kind of speed everyone else had. I kept having to hold her back. I was waiting and waiting and at the top of the stretch, when I finally let her loose she had a nice kick in her. It was a good pace. I was kind of expecting that. I knew even with that fast pace she could kick it in and finish strong.”
Sept. 24 NOTE: “In a perfect world, we’d probably keep her against three-year old fillies,” said assistant trainer Mettee two days before the Gallant Bloom. “But this is simply the best spot we could find for her right now and Saeed thought that if she could run against older fillies going six and a half furlongs, we could have a chance going seven-eighths in the Breeders’ Cup (Filly and Mare Sprint).”
Sept. 26, Grade II Gallant Bloom, Belmont Park, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Indian Blessing dueled with Sara Louise to the wire to notch her first victory of the year and earn an automatic berth in the Filly & Mare Sprint.
After breaking a half-step slowly, Indian Blessing recovered quickly and raced behind early leaders Any Limit and Thunders Dove before splitting horses to take the lead at the five-sixteenths pole. She was then challenged by 3-year-old Sara Louise in the stretch. Indian Blessing fought back relentlessly and prevailed by a head at the wire to win the Gallant Bloom for the second straight year.
The final time was 1:15.29.
Rick Mettee, assistant to Saeed bin Suroor: “I didn’t think she’d get beat today, she was training that well. The other filly showed her class.”
Edgar Prado, rider aboard Sara Louise: “She tried hard; she broke sharp and let the speed go. She was in a good spot, just unfortunately (Indian Blessing) got through inside. My filly fought real hard, though.”
Winning jockey John Velazquez: “I tell you, (Sara Louise) was a brave one, too. The more I asked my filly, the more the other one kept coming back. It was a good effort for both fillies.”
SEVENTH STREET (KY)
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Steve Barberino
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Street Cry (IRE) (Machiavellian, Helen Street (GB))
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Holiday Runner (Meadowlake, Dixie Holiday)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 10-2-6-0-0 (18) 5.00
Age: 4
In mid-September, connections said she would be pointed to the Filly & Mare Sprint.
After Seventh Street was defeated by Seattle Smooth in the Grade I Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, she was sent into the Go for Wand. Seattle Smooth was later taken out of training.
Aug. 2, Grade I Go for Wand Stakes, Saratoga, 1 1/8 Mile. It was raining hard. Under the guidance of regular jockey Rajiv Maragh, Seventh Street raced outside 30-1 longshot Color Me Up on the backstretch through a sharp half-mile in :47.22, gave up a short lead turning for home when Spritely shot through on the rail, and then fought back inside the sixteenth pole to win by 1 1/2 length.
Seventh Street was the second choice at a hair less than 3-2. Favorite Miss Isella rallied late to beat tiring Spritely for second. Six ran. The winner was timed in 1:51.01 over a sloppy-sealed track.
Ravij Maragh: “I didn’t want to tangle up with the longshot outside of me. So, I tried to have my filly relax. I didn’t want to use her energy early. I just wanted to get her to the quarter pole with the most energy as possible. She held up fine.”
Rick Mettee, Godolphin’s Northern American racing manager: “We thought if she had something to stalk and sit off that would help. Whoever would head her, Rajiv knew wouldn’t be as good as her. She came over in great shape from Kiaran and continued to train well. They don’t always hold their form this good. That’s a credit to Kiaran.”
A run in Saratoga's 10-furlong, Grade I Personal Ensign was considered possible next time out, but she skipped that race and was pointed instead to the Grade I Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park.
Sept. 10 NOTE: While Seventh Street has raced exclusively on dirt, assistant trainer Rick Mettee said a start in the Breeders’ Cup on a synthetic surface at Santa Anita Park on November 6 was under consideration.
“A lot has to happen,” he said. “If she runs well (in the Ruffian) and comes out of it good, it’s certainly something we would consider.”
Seventh Street was to concede four to 10 pounds to her five rivals.
Sept. 12, Grade I Ruffian Handicap, Belmont Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Swift Temper ran down heavily-favored Seventh Street in a muddy stretch drive to notch her first Grade I victory. Seventh Street conceded four pounds to the winner.
Swift Temper (9-2), who was beaten nearly 14 lengths by Icon Project in the Personal Ensign on August 30, broke alertly and raced just behind Be Fair (11-1) and Seventh Street (1-5) off early fractions of :23.03 and :45.58. Rounding the turn, Alan Garcia took her to the outside and she collared the favorite at the top of the stretch. From there, she went on to win by 1 3/4 length. The winning time: 1:40.59.
Second was Seventh Street, who finished 8 3/4 lengths before Luna Vega (6-1).
Rick Mettee, assistant to Saeed bin Suroor: “She was second-best today. They were going quick enough out there, and (Swift Temper) was always traveling a little better than (Seventh Street). Still, 1:40 and three over that track is pretty good.”
Rajiv Maragh, jockey aboard Seventh Street: “My filly broke good. I was real happy going down the backstretch, she was running a fair pace around there and I thought she would win from there, but the other filly just wore her down in the end. Visually, it looked like she had no excuses in the race. She had a pretty clear trip and the best chance of winning, but it happens. You can’t win every day, right?”
Sept. 13 NOTE: Mettee said Seventh Street came out of the race in good order and will likely be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
VENTURA (KY)
Trainer: Bobby Frankel
Owner: Juddmonte Farms
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Chester House (Mr. Prospector, Toussaud)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Estala (GB) (Be My Guest, Roupala)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 14-2-12-0-2 (30) 2.75
Age: 5
She won the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2008, followed by a second in the Grade II CashCall Mile Invitational going a mile at Hollywood Park.
In 2009, Ventura won the seven furlong, Grade I Santa Monica Handicap, and was second in the Grade I Kilroe Mile and the Grade I Vinery Madison at Keeneland before being given a rest. Informed Decision beat her in the Madison.
Sept. 20, Grade I Woodbine Mile, Woodbine, One Mile (T). Ventura became the first female to win the race after rallying from ninth at the head of the lane to outbattle Ferneley (6-1), who also came from back in the field, to win by a length under Garrett Gomez.
The course was playing fast, and her time of 1:32.04 was just one-fifth of a second off the course record of 1:31.84 set by Royal Regalia in 2004. Ventura finished second in this race in 2008.
Met Mile winner Bribon went postward a slight 2-1 favourite over Ventura, also at 2-1, in the field of 10.
Grand Adventure (21-1) went to the front, taking the field through a quarter in :23.55 and a half in :46.03. He led after three-quarters in 1:09.08, but was about to be swallowed up as the field turned for home.
Bribon went inside to launch his stretch assault but faded slightly in the final sixteenth to finish fifth, nosed out by Sterwins (9-1), who closed from tenth, and Jungle Wave (15-1), who was third in the early going. Meanwhile, Ventura, who had been allowed to lag in ninth throughout, was pushed outside by Gomez for the stretch run and exploded in mid-stretch, collaring the leaders and drawing away to the impressive score.
"You don't worry with Bobby (about a horse's fitness)," said Gomez. "He knows this filly like the back of his hand. She was off for a while, but you could see she was feeling her oats, and had those pre-race nerves. But I got her calmed down and after that, she settled in. With soft ground (the course was rated firm), it kind of hurts her chances because she's got such a beautiful turn of foot. On soft ground, she's not able to show that explosive move like she did today.
"Coming off the layoff and doing what she did today, she's just a tremendous mare. I didn't have to get into her a whole lot. I squeezed her but didn't use the whip on her at all. She went by them so fast. It was just a tremendous performance."
"A great credit to Bobby and all the crew, having her ready off the layoff," said Garrett O'Rourke, Juddmonte Farms Lexington Farm Manager. "I know she's one of his favourites). She's a super mare, so full of spit and vinegar. The ground definitely made a difference today. She has a fantastic turn of foot and Garrett rode her perfectly."
Despite the fact that the Woodbine Mile was a Win and You're In Race for the Breeders' Cup Mile, it was said after the race that Ventura will not contest the Mile but will instead defend her crown in the Filly and Mare Sprint.
Owner: Halo Farms & Three Sisters Thoroughbred
Breeder: Halo Farms
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Candy Ride (ARG), Ride the Rails, Candy Girl (ARG))
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Jealous Wildcat (Forest Wildcat, Jealous Sword)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 1-2-4-1-0 (8) 1.67
Age: 3
July 18, Grade II A Gleam Handicap, Hollywood Park, Seven Furlongs. Evita Argentina rallied from last of nine to win, scoring by two lengths over Silver Swallow. Lady Lumberjack finished third, and the favorite, Coco Belle, faded from the lead to finish sixth.
Evita Argentina, a 3-year-old, beat older horses. She got the distance in 1:21.80 with Joel Rosario up.
"I rode her last time going longer, and she really didn't have much punch in the stretch," Rosario said. "I think she's better going short. Today, when I asked her, she really responded."
Sept. 4, Grade III Rancho Bernardo Handicap, Del Mar, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Evita Argentina didn't fare very well in this one, finishing sixth, beaten 7 3/4 lengths by Carlsbad. As usual, she was off slowly. She bobbled, too, and just never got it into gear. Carlsbad won in 1:14.93. Joel Rosario was again on Evita Argentina.
GAME FACE (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Zabeel Racing International
Breeder: Marilyn F. Seltzer
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Menifee (Harlan, Anne Campbell)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Galleon of Gold (Gone West, Harbour Club)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 10-5-8-1-0 (24) 3.80
Age: 4
July 11, Grade I Princess Rooney Handicap, Calder, Six Furlongs. Game Face, already a multiple graded stakes winner, got her first Grade I victory after shipping in from New York.
Ridden by jockey Edgar Prado, Game Face broke from post six of six and raced in fourth position in the early going. She edged closer to the leaders nearing the turn and gained command at the quarter pole. Game Face drew off to win by 6 3/4 lengths over Keep the Peace in second, with local hope Orinoquia another 1 1/4 length back in third. Dubai Majesty, the 2-1 second choice, finished last.
Game Face, the 9-5 favorite, covered the six furlongs in 1:10.74--a half-second faster than Eaton's Gift ran in the Smile one race later.
Omar Trevino, Racing Manager, Zabeel Racing: “In the Vagrancy, I think she just ran back a little too close (22 days) and she didn’t seem to like (Belmont Park) all that much when she ran in the Acorn there last year. She’s trained great since (the Vagrancy), and the seven weeks between then and this race I think made a big difference.”
Edgar Prado, jockey: “This was the first time that I rode this filly, and she seemed to respond to me pretty well. The first thing that I noticed about her was that she wanted to run a bit too early, but she rated for me, and it was all about finishing strong from there.”
Aug. 9, Grade II Honorable Miss Handicap, Saratoga, Six Furlongs. Game Face didn’t employ her usual stalking style, but she had no trouble galloping home to a 1 1/2-length victory. She made it look easy.
Sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the field of six, Game Face broke sharply under Edgar Prado and pressed pacesetting Keep the Peace through early fractions of :22.76 and :45.74, surging to the lead in the stretch to cross the wire in 1:10.70 for the six furlongs.
Keep the Peace, who last ran second to Game Face in the Grade I Princess Rooney on July 11 at Calder, hung on for the place, followed by P.S.U. Grad, Porte Bonheur, Lady Chace and All Giving.
Winning trainer Todd Pletcher: “It didn’t unfold exactly like we’d planned. She seems to like stalking, but she broke so sharply and put herself in a good spot and Edgar maintained his position. She ran a big race. She’s a very genuine filly, she shows up almost every time.”
Sept. 12, Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, Presque Isle Downs, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Sent off at 4-5 against some good ones, Informed Decision won by 2 1/2 decisive lengths, timed in 1:15.10. Meanwhile, Game Face was fourth on the synthetic surface after racing on the inside.
Second was Sweet Lorena (17-1), followed a half-length by Flashing (7-1) and a neck by Game Face (9-2).
The chart call: "Game Face on the inside heading into the turn, saved ground then swung out to be four wide in mid stretch and finished well,"--which is a bit deceptive, because she lost a little ground to the winner in the final furlong.
INFORMED DECISION (KY)
Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard
Owner: Augustin Stable
Breeder: C. Kidder & N. Cole
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Monarchos (Maria's Mon, Regal Band)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Palangana (His Majesty, Countess North)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 3-1-18-0-2 (24) 1.18
Age: 4
Going into the Ballerina, Informed Decision had won her last five races, all at seven furlongs, including the Grade I Humana Distaff Stakes on a muddy track at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day, the Grade I Vinery Madison Stakes at Keeneland, and a really easy win in the Grade III Chicago Handicap at Arlington.
On Aug. 26, trainer Sheppard said, “She’s been a pleasant surprise. Many of our better horses seem to be turf horses, and this one is dirt. She’s pretty aggressive, and even though she runs well on conventional dirt, she particularly seems to like the synthetic. Our horse has speed. She went to the front at Arlington Park the last time because there wasn’t very much speed in that race, so she can go wherever the jockey wants to be, really.”
Aug. 29, Grade I Ballerina, Saratoga, Seven Furlongs. Informed Decision (6-5) was third, beaten 6 1/4 lengths by Music Note on a sloppy track. She contested the early pace with Indian Blessing but soon started dropping back.
Indian Blessing (6-5) was second, but Music Note (5-1) came out on top. After pressing and dueling for the lead--and shaking off the early contenders--Indian Blessing was passed on the inside on the turn by the winner. After briefly dueling with Music Note, she was beaten 5 1/4 lengths to a time of 1:22.10.
Jonathan Sheppard, trainer of Informed Decision: “We’re a little disappointed. I think the track condition may have been a factor.”
Six days later, here's what Sheppard had to say: “It seemed to be mostly (that she didn’t like the muddy track), but also the way the race set up was a little funny. She went out there and went through the motions, but it didn’t really take anything out of her. We’re toying with the idea of running her back shortly, that’s how well she’s doing.”
Sheppard said the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint remained the ultimate goal for the filly.
Sept. 12, Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, Presque Isle Downs, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Sent off at 4-5 against some good ones, Informed Decision won by 2 1/2 decisive lengths, timed in 1:15.10.
Second was Sweet Lorena (17-1), followed a half-length by Flashing (7-1) and a neck by Game Face (9-2).
The chart call: "Informed Decision was well placed while racing three wide, rallied on the turn then moved up to gained command in upper stretch, drew off in mid stretch and was clearly best."
Oct. 10, Grade II Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, Keeneland, Six Furlongs. Favored at 3-5 odds, Informed Decision loped wide down the stretch to overtake Carlsbad in the late stages.
Behind opening fractions of :22.39 and :45.11, Infomed Decision was sixth in the eight-horse field going around the turn. Julien Leparoux swung her wide entering the stretch, but Carlsbad, an Arizona-bred trained by Jeff Mullins had gotten the jump on her. Under vigorous right-hand urging, Informd Decsion began cutting into Carlsbad's lead and got up for the win just beyond the shadow of the wire.
As she neared Carlsbad, Informed Decision left near the center of the course and edged to her left. She hit the wire in a final time of 1:09.03.
Informed Decision ran her overall record to 10 wins in 12 starts, with two thirds. At the six-furlong distance of the TCA, Informed Decision has only run three times, with two wins and a third. She's more accustomed to going seven furlongs.
With a pronounced liking for Keeneland, the 4-year-old filly won her fourth race there in as many starts.
Julien Leparoux, rider of winner Informed Decision: “She’s really special; she’s amazing. She’s got this kick on the Poly that’s amazing. She always does the same thing. Even at Churchill, when she won the Humana Distaff, we didn’t think we were going to win at the eighth pole and she won. Today was the same. She has a kick that’s amazing. That’s the best thing for her.”
Jonathan Sheppard, trainer of winner Informed Decision: “I was a little nervous turning for home. She was just a tad settled back in behind horses. Knowing that seven-eighths is really her specialty, I figured she was going to finish strong. Sure enough, she came down the stretch pretty good and finished up well.”
George Strawbridge Jr., owner of Augustin Stable, Informed Decision: “She never ceases to amaze me. There have been so many races … today, I thought she was beat at the quarter pole. At Churchill in the Humana, I thought she was beat at the eighth pole. Her speed really does surprise me.”
SARA LOUISE (KY)
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Paul F. Gardner
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy, Macoumba)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): King's Lynn (Mt. Livermore, Til Forbid)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 8-5-11-0-0 (24) 3.36
Age: 3
Fourth in her 2-year-old debut at Saratoga in August, 2008, Sara Louise broke her maiden next time out, then posted a 3 3/4-length victory over Rachel Alexandra in the one-turn, Grade III Pocahontas at Churchill Downs on Nov. 1. In her final start of 2008, she was 4 3/4 lengths behind Rachel Alexandra in the two-turn, Grade II Golden Rod at Churchill. She then wintered in Dubai.
Aug. 29, Grade III Victory Ride Stakes, Saratoga, Six Furlongs. Sara Louise made her first start of 2009 a winning one, powering past the pacesetters in the stretch and going on to a two-length victory over Bold Union to take Saturday’s Grade III, $110,000 Victory Ride Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Under Edgar Prado, the 3-year-old sat not far behind pressured fractions of :21.95 and :44.81 set by Bold Union, then moved into striking position on the turn before launching her late run and hitting the wire in 1:09.66 for six furlongs over a sloppy track.
Saeed bin Suroor, winning trainer: "When she was in Dubai, she had tiny problems. She had tendon problems in both of her front legs. We gave her time. The filly was doing really well. She was working well. She has tactical speed. I talked to Edgar, and he said she can go a mile. The filly has class.
"(The sloppy track) was a question mark before the race. We couldn't wait too long until September. She needed the race, and she'll improve from this race. We'll have to wait on (the possibility of another meeting with Rachel Alexandra). She's in a different class now. Our filly beat her before. We'll have to wait until the right time.”
Edgar Prado: “It was a beautiful trip. She broke real sharp. I was able to get in a little hole and see what kind of speed everyone else had. I kept having to hold her back. I was waiting and waiting and at the top of the stretch, when I finally let her loose she had a nice kick in her. It was a good pace. I was kind of expecting that. I knew even with that fast pace she could kick it in and finish strong.”
Sept. 24 NOTE: “In a perfect world, we’d probably keep her against three-year old fillies,” said assistant trainer Mettee two days before the Gallant Bloom. “But this is simply the best spot we could find for her right now and Saeed thought that if she could run against older fillies going six and a half furlongs, we could have a chance going seven-eighths in the Breeders’ Cup (Filly and Mare Sprint).”
Sept. 26, Grade II Gallant Bloom, Belmont Park, 6 1/2 Furlongs. Indian Blessing dueled with Sara Louise to the wire to notch her first victory of the year and earn an automatic berth in the Filly & Mare Sprint.
After breaking a half-step slowly, Indian Blessing recovered quickly and raced behind early leaders Any Limit and Thunders Dove before splitting horses to take the lead at the five-sixteenths pole. She was then challenged by 3-year-old Sara Louise in the stretch. Indian Blessing fought back relentlessly and prevailed by a head at the wire to win the Gallant Bloom for the second straight year.
The final time was 1:15.29.
Rick Mettee, assistant to Saeed bin Suroor: “I didn’t think she’d get beat today, she was training that well. The other filly showed her class.”
Edgar Prado, rider aboard Sara Louise: “She tried hard; she broke sharp and let the speed go. She was in a good spot, just unfortunately (Indian Blessing) got through inside. My filly fought real hard, though.”
Winning jockey John Velazquez: “I tell you, (Sara Louise) was a brave one, too. The more I asked my filly, the more the other one kept coming back. It was a good effort for both fillies.”
SEVENTH STREET (KY)
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Steve Barberino
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Street Cry (IRE) (Machiavellian, Helen Street (GB))
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Holiday Runner (Meadowlake, Dixie Holiday)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 10-2-6-0-0 (18) 5.00
Age: 4
In mid-September, connections said she would be pointed to the Filly & Mare Sprint.
After Seventh Street was defeated by Seattle Smooth in the Grade I Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, she was sent into the Go for Wand. Seattle Smooth was later taken out of training.
Aug. 2, Grade I Go for Wand Stakes, Saratoga, 1 1/8 Mile. It was raining hard. Under the guidance of regular jockey Rajiv Maragh, Seventh Street raced outside 30-1 longshot Color Me Up on the backstretch through a sharp half-mile in :47.22, gave up a short lead turning for home when Spritely shot through on the rail, and then fought back inside the sixteenth pole to win by 1 1/2 length.
Seventh Street was the second choice at a hair less than 3-2. Favorite Miss Isella rallied late to beat tiring Spritely for second. Six ran. The winner was timed in 1:51.01 over a sloppy-sealed track.
Ravij Maragh: “I didn’t want to tangle up with the longshot outside of me. So, I tried to have my filly relax. I didn’t want to use her energy early. I just wanted to get her to the quarter pole with the most energy as possible. She held up fine.”
Rick Mettee, Godolphin’s Northern American racing manager: “We thought if she had something to stalk and sit off that would help. Whoever would head her, Rajiv knew wouldn’t be as good as her. She came over in great shape from Kiaran and continued to train well. They don’t always hold their form this good. That’s a credit to Kiaran.”
A run in Saratoga's 10-furlong, Grade I Personal Ensign was considered possible next time out, but she skipped that race and was pointed instead to the Grade I Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park.
Sept. 10 NOTE: While Seventh Street has raced exclusively on dirt, assistant trainer Rick Mettee said a start in the Breeders’ Cup on a synthetic surface at Santa Anita Park on November 6 was under consideration.
“A lot has to happen,” he said. “If she runs well (in the Ruffian) and comes out of it good, it’s certainly something we would consider.”
Seventh Street was to concede four to 10 pounds to her five rivals.
Sept. 12, Grade I Ruffian Handicap, Belmont Park, 1 1/16 Mile. Swift Temper ran down heavily-favored Seventh Street in a muddy stretch drive to notch her first Grade I victory. Seventh Street conceded four pounds to the winner.
Swift Temper (9-2), who was beaten nearly 14 lengths by Icon Project in the Personal Ensign on August 30, broke alertly and raced just behind Be Fair (11-1) and Seventh Street (1-5) off early fractions of :23.03 and :45.58. Rounding the turn, Alan Garcia took her to the outside and she collared the favorite at the top of the stretch. From there, she went on to win by 1 3/4 length. The winning time: 1:40.59.
Second was Seventh Street, who finished 8 3/4 lengths before Luna Vega (6-1).
Rick Mettee, assistant to Saeed bin Suroor: “She was second-best today. They were going quick enough out there, and (Swift Temper) was always traveling a little better than (Seventh Street). Still, 1:40 and three over that track is pretty good.”
Rajiv Maragh, jockey aboard Seventh Street: “My filly broke good. I was real happy going down the backstretch, she was running a fair pace around there and I thought she would win from there, but the other filly just wore her down in the end. Visually, it looked like she had no excuses in the race. She had a pretty clear trip and the best chance of winning, but it happens. You can’t win every day, right?”
Sept. 13 NOTE: Mettee said Seventh Street came out of the race in good order and will likely be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
VENTURA (KY)
Trainer: Bobby Frankel
Owner: Juddmonte Farms
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms
Sire (Sire’s Sire, Dam): Chester House (Mr. Prospector, Toussaud)
Dam (Dam’s Sire, Dam): Estala (GB) (Be My Guest, Roupala)
Dosage Profile (Points) Index: 14-2-12-0-2 (30) 2.75
Age: 5
She won the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2008, followed by a second in the Grade II CashCall Mile Invitational going a mile at Hollywood Park.
In 2009, Ventura won the seven furlong, Grade I Santa Monica Handicap, and was second in the Grade I Kilroe Mile and the Grade I Vinery Madison at Keeneland before being given a rest. Informed Decision beat her in the Madison.
Sept. 20, Grade I Woodbine Mile, Woodbine, One Mile (T). Ventura became the first female to win the race after rallying from ninth at the head of the lane to outbattle Ferneley (6-1), who also came from back in the field, to win by a length under Garrett Gomez.
The course was playing fast, and her time of 1:32.04 was just one-fifth of a second off the course record of 1:31.84 set by Royal Regalia in 2004. Ventura finished second in this race in 2008.
Met Mile winner Bribon went postward a slight 2-1 favourite over Ventura, also at 2-1, in the field of 10.
Grand Adventure (21-1) went to the front, taking the field through a quarter in :23.55 and a half in :46.03. He led after three-quarters in 1:09.08, but was about to be swallowed up as the field turned for home.
Bribon went inside to launch his stretch assault but faded slightly in the final sixteenth to finish fifth, nosed out by Sterwins (9-1), who closed from tenth, and Jungle Wave (15-1), who was third in the early going. Meanwhile, Ventura, who had been allowed to lag in ninth throughout, was pushed outside by Gomez for the stretch run and exploded in mid-stretch, collaring the leaders and drawing away to the impressive score.
"You don't worry with Bobby (about a horse's fitness)," said Gomez. "He knows this filly like the back of his hand. She was off for a while, but you could see she was feeling her oats, and had those pre-race nerves. But I got her calmed down and after that, she settled in. With soft ground (the course was rated firm), it kind of hurts her chances because she's got such a beautiful turn of foot. On soft ground, she's not able to show that explosive move like she did today.
"Coming off the layoff and doing what she did today, she's just a tremendous mare. I didn't have to get into her a whole lot. I squeezed her but didn't use the whip on her at all. She went by them so fast. It was just a tremendous performance."
"A great credit to Bobby and all the crew, having her ready off the layoff," said Garrett O'Rourke, Juddmonte Farms Lexington Farm Manager. "I know she's one of his favourites). She's a super mare, so full of spit and vinegar. The ground definitely made a difference today. She has a fantastic turn of foot and Garrett rode her perfectly."
Despite the fact that the Woodbine Mile was a Win and You're In Race for the Breeders' Cup Mile, it was said after the race that Ventura will not contest the Mile but will instead defend her crown in the Filly and Mare Sprint.
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