Effectual takes Debutante
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Robby Albarado capped a memorable afternoon when Effectual gave the veteran jockey his fifth win on the Saturday card by running away with the 105th at Churchill Downs.
Effectual, trained by Steve Asmussen, was making just her second career start when capturing the 5 1/2-furlong Debutante in 1:03.95 over a fast track. Effectual, an easy winner of an April 15 maiden race at Keeneland, returned $8.60 as second choice in the Grade 3 Debutante. She won by 2 1/2 lengths.
Joint Effort, the 2-1 favorite in a field of nine 2-year-old fillies, rallied from midpack to finish second, two lengths ahead of late-running Swept Gold.
Effectual sped to the lead down the backstretch after clearing Dance Daily, who broke fastest of all to make the early lead. Effectual, by Carson City, "is brilliantly quick," said Scott Blasi, Asmussen's assistant. "She might have gotten away a step slowly, but once Robby got her up to the lead, I was pretty confident. She was moving so easy when they went by the three-eighths pole."
Effectual, owned by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and George Bolton, will be among the 27-horse string that Asmussen will ship to Saratoga this week. She could run next in the Adirondack Stakes on opening day, July 27.
The $112,600 Debutante marked a meet-leading sixth stakes win for Albarado at the Churchill spring session. Albarado was the meet's earnings leader and finished second in wins to Rafael Bejarano.
The five-win day was the first for a Churchill jockey since Pat Day did it in June 2001.
In earlier races:
* Unbridled Sidney ($6) set a turf-course record by completing five furlongs in 55.54 seconds in a breathtaking victory in the $71,600 Zenobia Empress Handicap. Albarado was aboard for trainer Ronny Werner when Unbridled Sidney, always in front, prevailed by 6 3/4 lengths.
* Werner also won the $72,800 Heavenly Cause Stakes when Flying Glitter ($14.80), perfectly rated by Eddie Martin Jr., outlasted favored Culinary by a half-length. Flying Glitter finished a mile in 1:35.51.
* Reunited ($6.20), Albarado up, was an easy winner of a six-furlong allowance and may run next in the Grade 1 Test Stakes on Aug. 6 at Saratoga, said trainer Neil Howard.
* A. P. Arrow, with Day aboard, finished a well-beaten fourth as the even-money favorite in his first start since finishing fifth in the Belmont Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile, entry-level allowance was won by Chippewa Trail ($17.80), ridden by Jesus Castanon.