Celestine holds off late charge to win Wild Applause

Celestine showed she has guts to go along with her talent, holding off a late charge from Partisan Politics to win Sunday’s $100,000 Wild Applause Stakes by a nose at Belmont Park.

It was the fourth consecutive victory for Celestine, third straight in a listed stakes, and second in as many starts since being transferred to trainer Bill Mott. She has won her last three races with Rajiv Maragh in the irons.

In winning the Wait a While Stakes here May 16, Celestine came from off the pace in a five-horse field.

On Sunday, she broke alertly and sat right off the flank of an eager Lismore, who raced an opening half-mile in 46.99 seconds. Celestine moved on equal terms with Lismore at the five-sixteenths pole, took command in upper stretch, and just outlasted Partisan Politics, who had to go four wide around the turn to get into contention under Javier Castellano.

Celestine, a 3-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy owned by James Bryan Jr., covered a mile in 1:34.18 and returned $4.40 as the favorite.

“She showed a lot of determination to maintain the lead and hold off the other filly who was charging pretty hard,” Maragh said. “She's versatile. She's up for whatever. I think she's a really, really good filly. The sky's the limit for her. She's got a lot of talent and a lot of guts, and there was a lot of talent in that race."

Partisan Politics, making her first start since last October’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, finished second by two lengths over Stormy Regatta. Sivoliere, Angela Renee, and Lismore completed the order of finish.

Lakeside Sunset was an early scratch while My Year Is a Day unseated jockey Jose Lezcano in the post parade, ran off, and was scratched.

Celestine now is 2 for 2 at a mile, and Mott said she will likely be given the opportunity to run farther in Saratoga in a race like the Grade 2, $200,000 Lake George Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race on the July 24 opening-day card at Saratoga.