Appleby sends out Just a Game top two as Althiqa streaks past Summer Romance
ELMONT, N.Y. – Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby had a special Saturday at Epsom Downs in England, where Adayar and Hurricane Lane finished first and third in the Derby. Saturday at Belmont also went well. Althiqa and Summer Romance, both trained by Appleby for Godolpin, ran one-two in the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game.
Summer Romance flew out of the gate, looking more like an American Quarter Horse than an England-based Thoroughbred, and led until the sixteenth pole, where Althiqa stormed up the rail and won by three-quarters of a length. Althiqa, eighth down the backstretch and into the Just a Game’s one turn, still had several lengths to make up at the three sixteenths pole but unleashed a furious kick after jockey Mike Smith guided her down to the fence.
“It was brilliant,” Smith said of his mount’s acceleration.
The two 4-year-old fillies wintered in Dubai and shipped to Belmont with Rebel’s Romance, an intended Belmont Stakes starter who had to be scratched early in the week. Althiqa and Summer Romance traded decisions in Dubai and aren’t all that far apart in baseline ability, but Summer Romance had no chance when the winner flew up to her in deep stretch.
“Charlie said lay midpack, she’s got a big heart, and she’s very, very honest,” said Smith. “I was actually going to tip out [before the eighth pole] and she kind of leaned in like she wanted to drop to the fence and cut, so I just let her. I said, ‘It’s a small hole,’ but he told me she has a big heart, so I went for it and she got on through there. She might suit American racing really well.”
Over a course rated “good” and drying rapidly through a hot, sunny day, Summer Romance had much more speed than any of her American-based rivals, opening a couple lengths in the first furlong and racing under a snug hold from Luis Saez. Setting splits of 23.44, 46.90, and 1:10.46, Summer Romance traveled better than anyone, save her stablemate, to midstretch.
“I was watching all her races and she always breaks so fast,” said Saez. “She was always right there for me, I thought we were going to win, but the other one flew.”
Small consolation, but Summer Romance was comfortably second, with Daddy Is a Legend finishing solidly for third. The winner was clocked in 1:33.90 and paid $16.80. She earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
Regal Glory, scratched from Thursday’s Intercontinental in favor of this spot, was right behind Daddy Is a Legend in fourth. Then came Pocket Square, somewhat surprisingly favored at 5-2, Zofelle, Always Shopping, Abscond, Tamahere, and New York Girl. Blowout, a habitual front-runner, was scratched Saturday morning with a bruised hoof.
Pocket Square raced too keenly down the backstretch while covered up in mid-pack, compromising her finish, while Tamahere got stuck very wide with no cover around the turn before coming up empty.
Althiqa, a homebred, is by Dark Angel out of Mistrusting, by Shamardal. She won for the fifth time in 10 starts, landing her first Grade 1, part of a very good day for Mr. Appleby.