Australasia goes last to first in Jersey Girl Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. - Australasia kept her record unblemished and showed she could compete against open stakes company by rallying from last under Joel Rosario to win Sunday’s $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.
Australasia finished one length in front of Bella Sofia, who held off favored Miss Brazil by a head for second. Decade was fourth, followed by Dr B. Shop Girl scratched.
The win was the sixth in as many starts for Australasia, a daughter of Sky Kingdom who had won her first four starts versus Louisiana-breds before taking an open company first-level allowance at Churchill Downs on April 30.
Brad Cox, the trainer of Australasia, said the filly’s two works since that race convinced him to nominate her to this race, and when he was told it was going to be a short field, he shipped her here Thursday.
Miss Brazil, the 4-5 favorite, broke through the starting gate pre-race. Though she didn’t run off under Javier Castellano, it certainly couldn’t have helped her cause. When she broke slow, the speedy Miss Brazil wound up having to play catch-up.
Bella Sofia, coming off a monster debut win, set the pace under Luis Saez, with Decade, under Jose Ortiz, stalking her from the outside. Dr B saved ground in third with Miss Brazil to her outside in fourth and Australasia trailing.
The pace was a modest 22.55 seconds for the quarter and 45.68 for the half-mile. Decade couldn’t keep up, but Miss Brazil got back in the race and seemed to still have a chance at the head of the lane. In deep stretch, Bella Sofia fought her off, but she couldn’t fend off the late and wide-rallying Australasia, who rallied down the center of the course.
Australasia, owned by Magnifico Stable, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.19 and returned $10.60 to win.
All six of Australasia’s victories have come at different distances, including three around two turns at Delta Downs.
“I’m not sure she’s a six-furlong horse,” Cox said. “I think things have to set up for her to win going three-quarters. I think she’s more like middle distance. I was uncertain she’d be able to compete outside the Louisiana-bred company. Obviously, she won the open [allowance] last time, but at the stakes level, when you cross the Hudson, the water gets deep. She was able to swim though, so I was proud of her.”
Cox did not rule out pointing her to the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga on Aug. 7.
“Maybe,” he said. “That could be a race where things could set up for her, too.”
Javier Castellano, the rider of Miss Brazil, said his filly charged the gate, reacting to some noise made by the horse to her outside, Decade.
Tony Dutrow, Miss Brazil’s trainer, said the filly had a cut on her nose from the incident.
“I’m not going to make any excuses,” Dutrow said. “Hopefully, it’ll be better another day.”