UPI Horse Racing Roundup – October 13, 2014
October 13th, 2014By ROBERT KIECKHEFER
UPI Racing Writer
With much of Thoroughbred racing awaiting Champions Day next week and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships three weeks away, a fast-maturing 3-year-old filly was the star of weekend action.
There also were some nice performances from the juvenile set and an Illinois-bred mare continued to show the colors of the Land of Lincoln out east.
Let’s take it home:
Keeneland
Crown Queen stalked the pace in Saturday’s $500,000, Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for 3-year-old fillies, moved to the lead inside the furlong pole and prevailed by 3/4 length over Ball Dancing. Sistas Stroll and Personal Diary dead-heated for third. Crown Queen, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Smart Strike, ran 9 furlongs on soft turf in 1:49.98 with John Velazquez riding. She did not make her 3-year-old debut until June, when she broke her maiden at Belmont Park, followed by victories in an allowance race at Belmont Park and the Grade II Lake Placid at Saratoga.
“We ran her a couple of times as a 2-year-old, and Mr. Leon (owner Ben) wanted to give her some time over the winter to mature and grow up a little bit,” said winning trainer Bill Mott. “It’s worked out perfectly. He made a good call, and she’s undefeated this season and now she’s a Grade 1 stakes winner.”
He said future plans require a trip to the drawing board.
Free As a Bird surged to the lead at the sixteenth pole in Friday’s $100,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland, then held off the favorite, Ageless, winning by 1 1/2 lengths over that rival. The 5-year-old daughter of Hard Spun notched her fifth straight win.
Asked what occasioned the string of victories, trainer Ian Wilkes said, “I shortened her up … She was just a little too rank when I ran her longer.”
Free As a Bird ran 5 1/2 furlongs on yielding turf in 1:03.60 with Joel Rosario at the controls.
Belmont Park
Illinois-bred and based La Tia led the way in Sunday’s $200,000, Grade III Athenia Stakes for fillies and mares and held on at the end for a narrow victory over Byrama. Overheard finished third. La Tia, a 5-year-old mare by City Place, ran 1 1/16 miles over the yielding inner turf course in 1:43.36. She came to the race off a third-place finish in the Grade II Canadian over the Woodbine turf and also has won two graded stakes on all-weather courses at Arlington and Woodbine this season.
“They pressured me last time,” said winning rider Joel Rosario, who rode La Tia for the first time in the Canadian. “The stretch in Woodbine is longer than here, and that day they finished up very strong. She ran a good race and got beat by some very good horses. I was very confident with her today.”
Legendary kicked into gear turning for home in Saturday’s $100,000 Knickerbocker Stakes for 3-year-olds, quickly opened a commanding lead and survived a late bid by the favorite, Up With the Birds, to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Mshawish finished third. Legendary, a British-bred gelding by Exceed and Excel, got 9 furlongs on the yielding inner turf course in 1:51.65 with Sheldon Russell up.
“As long as he’s on the outside, he comes home real good,” Russell said. “Being from England, he’d run on softer courses, so I knew today wasn’t going to be a problem for him.”
Woodbine
Pohdi Phodi, the odds-on pick, was in command all the way in Saturday’s $125,000 (Canadian) Victorian Queen Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and extended her advantage to a 5-lengths win. Indiantown Sunrise was second, 3 lengths to the good of Internal Bourbon. Pohdi Pohdi, a daughter of Old Forester, ran 6 furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:10.29 with Patrick Husbands riding.
San Nicola outfinished Iroquois Falls in Sunday’s $125,000 (Canadian) Bunty Lawless Stakes, winning by a neck over that foe. The pacesetter, Warbred, held on for third, 1/2 length to the good of the favorite, Pender Harbour. San Nicola, 4-year-old Silent Name gelding, ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:35.89 with Justin Stein in the irons.
Santa Anita
Light the City came three-wide into the stretch in Sunday’s $75,000 Anoakia Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, hit another gear and won by 2 1/2 lengths over Seduire. Starley O’Hara was a distant third. Light the City, a Kentucky-bred Street Sense filly, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.00 with Elvis Trujillo up.
Retama Park
Crown the Kitten rallied from well back to win Saturday’s $100,000 El Jovan Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings by 5 3/4 lengths. Infiltration was second, 1/2 length to the good of Witt’s Runner. Crown the Kitten, a Kitten’s Joy colt owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, ran 1 mile on good turf in 1:38.64 with Rafael Hernandez up.
Right On Kitten, another of the Ramsey brood, sat second off the early pace in Saturday’s $100,000 M2 Technology La Senorita Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, took the lead in the lane and cleared, winning by 2 3/4 lengths over Sweet Diva. T C B Kiwi’s finished third. Right On Kitten, by Kitten’s Joy, ran 1 mile on good turf in 1:39.16, also with Hernandez in the irons.
Fresno
Downtown C. T. led throughout Sunday’s $75,000 Bull Dog Handicap and held on late to score by 3/4 length from Terrys Tom Cat. The favorite, Salah Champ, finished third, 4 lengths farther back. Downtown C. T., a 5-year-old Crafty C. T. gelding, ran 9 furlongs on a fast track in 1:49.62 for jockey Ricardo Gonzalez.
Australia
Fawkner took charge late in Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Stakes and held off the late run of Criterion for the victory. Side Glance was a game third after leading the way. Fawkner, winner of last year’s running of the Caulfield Cup, appears set for a repeat there. Side Glance, also third in the Grade I Arlington Million in August, is ticketed for the Cox Plate or the McKinnon Stakes, which he won last year.
Shooting to Win did just that Saturday in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, catching Rich Enuff in the late going for the victory. Wandjina finished third. Amicus scored a 3/4-length victory over Traveston Girl in the Thousand Guineas with Sabatini third.
