Eclatant wears down Foie Gras in final strides to take Chicago Stakes
?q=100)
| # | HorseOdds | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Evanescence | ||
| 20-1 | E. Kenneally | L. Saez | |
2 | Eclatant | ||
| 6-5 | B. Cox | I. Ortiz, Jr. | |
3 | Lotsandlotsofcandy | ||
| 5-1 | P. McGee | R. Bejarano | |
4 | Zeitlos | ||
| 10-1 | S. Asmussen | B. Hernandez, Jr. | |
5 | Usha | ||
| 3-1 | B. Baffert | F. Prat | |
6 | Beauty Reigns | ||
| 12-1 | W. Mott | J. Alvarado | |
7 | Queen's Martini | ||
| 20-1 | R. Moquett | J. Rosario | |
8 | Foie Gras | ||
| 6-1 | M. Maker | R. Santana, Jr. | |
Eclatant did not win like a 3-5 shot is supposed to, but win she did, capturing the Grade 2, $300,000 Chicago Stakes on Saturday night at Churchill Downs.
Stalking the pace while saving ground inside and behind horses, Eclatant, under Irad Ortiz, appeared loaded with run coming to the quarter-pole in the seven-furlong Chicago. But when Ortiz found room, coming between rivals before the three-sixteenths pole about four paths from the fence, Eclatant did not leap forward. Instead, she churned – and churned, and churned – finally wearing down Foie Gras in the last couple strides.
That made three straight victories for Eclatant, who launched her campaign over the winter at Gulfstream with an allowance-race score that produced an elite 104 Beyer Speed Figure. She went on to win the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland by a nose over the excellent mare Grand Job, earning a 109 Beyer, but her seven furlongs over a fast track in 1:22.69 Saturday night yielded a modest figure of 89.
Eclatant at least got the job done. Usha, the 5-2 second choice, chased Lotsandlotsofcandy’s pace (22.56 and 45.17) while posted about two paths from the fence down the backstretch and around the turn, but after taking Lotsandlotsofcandy’s measure, Eclatant found herself overwhelmed by three-wide pace-presser Foie Gras. While Foie Gras ran on, Usha faded to seventh, beating only Lotsandlotsofcandy, who stopped badly and, according to the official chart, “was found to have bled.”
Foie Gras, distant third choice at 10-1, finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of third-place Evanescence. Eclatant, after making her many supporters sweat it out, paid $3.54.
Brad Cox trains Eclatant for her breeder, Stonestreet Stables, and the filly ran her career mark to 9-6-0-1. Eclatant, by Into Mischief out of the Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario, remained unbeaten at age 4 but will need to bounce back to compete with the top of the division – Ways and Means and Grand Job – if she’s to keep that winning streak alive later this summer.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.
| # | HorseOdds | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Evanescence | ||
| 20-1 | E. Kenneally | L. Saez | |
2 | Eclatant | ||
| 6-5 | B. Cox | I. Ortiz, Jr. | |
3 | Lotsandlotsofcandy | ||
| 5-1 | P. McGee | R. Bejarano | |
4 | Zeitlos | ||
| 10-1 | S. Asmussen | B. Hernandez, Jr. | |
5 | Usha | ||
| 3-1 | B. Baffert | F. Prat | |
6 | Beauty Reigns | ||
| 12-1 | W. Mott | J. Alvarado | |
7 | Queen's Martini | ||
| 20-1 | R. Moquett | J. Rosario | |
8 | Foie Gras | ||
| 6-1 | M. Maker | R. Santana, Jr. | |
