Classic Q takes down Lush Lips in thrilling First Lady

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 4-year-old filly Classic Q has won big races before, but she has never won a big race running quite like she did Saturday at Keeneland in the First Lady Stakes.

A front-running winner of the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile in May, and a front-running winner of the Grade 1 Just a Game in June, Classic Q sat a wide third around the first turn, remained in third, several lengths behind her pacesetting stablemate And One More Time, down the backstretch, and when she passed the three-eighths pole, Classic Q was tasked with doing something relatively unfamiliar: passing horses in the homestretch.

Asked if he thought Classic Q was on a path to victory going around the First Lady’s second bend, trainer Mark Casse had a succinct answer: “No, I didn’t, honestly.”

Casse probably liked his chances even less at the furlong grounds. Lush Lips, the 2-1 favorite, came into the homestretch absolutely loaded, and when a large gap opened between rail-hugging Love You Anyway and a tiring And One More Time, Lush Lips, displaying world-class acceleration, blasted through, opening a lead of about 1 1/2 lengths. Lush Lips’s ears went straight up, as though she felt her work was done, and as she took her foot off the gas pedal, Classic Q kept coming. When Lush Lips finally felt her presence she jumped back into the game – too late. Lush Lips got a good bob, but Classic Q got the win, home by a nose.

Bless the Broken, wide on both turns after breaking from post 9, finished with interest for third, a half-length behind Lush Lips. Via Arana, a 55-1 shot, made an even later run for fourth, a half-length back of Bless the Broken, while French shipper Mandanaba, second to Classic Q in the Just a Game, raced unprofessionally in the early stages and narrowly bested Expensive Queen for fifth. Expensive Queen raced for the first time since dead-heating for first in the Jenny Wiley here in April; Segesta, the other Jenny Wiley winner, lost her form Saturday and faded to ninth of 10 after tracking the leader.

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Classic Q ran the best race of her life in the Just a Game early in the Saratoga meet, but as summer wore on, the filly started to wilt. Casse had her entered in the Fourstardave Stakes on Aug. 8 at Saratoga but scratched the filly, who showed up instead at Kentucky Downs and checked in a modest third Sept. 5 as the 7-5 favorite in the Ladies Turf. Even then, Classic Q had started to go the right way again.

“She’s just a better horse than she was 45 days ago. She went through a lull at the end of Saratoga,” Casse said.

John Velazquez has ridden Classic Q five times in a row and has gotten to know a talented filly who requires a deft touch.

“The whole thing with her is I try to relax the first part of the race. You just take a little hold; not too much. You take too much, and she throws her head up. Today, I was on the outside, and little by little by little she settled. I was really happy with the filly, the way she was doing everything. I took my time, and when I said to go, she responded,” Velazquez said.

All credit to Classic Q, who took home the winner’s share of the Grade 1, $758,750 First Lady, but Lush Lips probably was the “best” horse in the race.

Surprisingly run down as the odds-on favorite at Ellis Park on Aug. 23, her first race since late February (when she beat Classic Q in the Honey Fox), Lush Lips was back on her game in the First Lady. She took a furlong or so to really settle for Tyler Gaffalione but traveled sweetly down the backstretch while racing sixth along the inside. Gaffalione came to the homestretch with a ton of horse, looking for room. The room came quicker than expected.

“That was the thing - it just opened up a little too soon, and we got there too quick today,” said Gaffalione, who felt his mount waiting on the competition after bursting clear. “She’s got a good long run – it’s just timing it right. The issue was the filly on the outside was so far away, there was probably about four or five paths between us, and just took me a little bit to get my filly over there to go see her.”

Three jumps last the wire, and Lush Lips was back in front by a length. Not that that counts for anything.

Classic Q paid $20.08 to win and ran a mile on firm turf in 1:35.89. Casse trains the filly for Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing, and Eclipse Thoroughbreds. Casse bought Classic Q, a daughter of Classic Empire and Lovely Em, by Scat Daddy, for $40,000 as a yearling. Tina Casse’s Quintessential Racing Florida initially campaigned her with Blue Crevalle, but after Classic Q won a maiden race in her second start, the Casses sold their share, while Barber and Eclipse came in. Classic Q is catalogued in Keeneland’s November mixed sale.

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