Fluffy Socks ends losing streak in Distaff Turf Mile
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE?q=100)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Winless in six starts during 2022, Fluffy Socks beat five rivals to win her first start of 2023, the Grade 2, $500,000 Distaff Turf Mile on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Likely running the best race of her life in her 5-year-old debut, Fluffy Socks burst between horses under Irad Ortiz Jr. and ran down heavily favored Spendarella to win by one length.
The Distaff Turf Mile came one race after Ortiz got badly boxed in riding the Brown-trained Goodnight Olive, who finished third as the favorite in the Derby City Distaff.
“Sometimes you get through, sometimes you don’t. That’s just part of it. Irad was able to get through this time,” Brown said.
Fluffy Socks had finished second in four of her six races last year but came back from a seven-month break fresh and ready. Brown had three entrants in the Distaff Turf Mile, and one of them, Haughty, was sent up to take the early lead from Spendarella. Haughty raced through moderate fractions of 23.62 seconds and 47.84, with Spendarella about a length behind her and Fluffy Socks patiently ridden from fifth.
Spendarella came up to Haughty’s flank at the five-sixteenths pole and took the lead away from her at the quarter pole while still in hand, but failed to kick away from her foes. As Speak of the Devil, Brown’s third entrant, loomed on the outside, Ortiz followed Spendarella, diving left to find a seam between Spendarella and Haughty. Fluffy Socks quickened nicely and hit the front at the eighth pole. Spendarella tried to battle back but was losing ground to the winner at the finish.
Spendarella saved second by one length over Speak of the Devil, who’d won this race a year ago and held third by a neck over Wakanaka. Wakanaka raced from a distant last, still was well behind the pack turning into the stretch, and must have run her final quarter-mile in about 22 seconds. Sharp Hero finished a well-beaten fifth as Haughty faded to last. Freedom Speaks and Sister Lou Ann were scratched.
Fluffy Socks, who paid $11.96 as the distant second choice, was timed in 1:35.53 over a very firm course (98 Beyer Speed Figure). She carried 118 pounds, two fewer than Spendarella.
Spendarella was making her first start since an excellent win last Aug. 20 in the Del Mar Oaks. The 4-5 favorite under Tyler Gaffalione, she rated well enough and came into the stretch with every chance.
“It looked like he had a lot of horse at the top of the stretch, she just didn’t quicken like she normally does, maybe just being a little rusty,” trainer Graham Motion said. “I thought she’d win today.”
Fluffy Socks, bred and owned by Head of Plains Partners, is by Slumber out of Breakfast Time, by Kitten’s Joy. Brown trained both sire and dam. Brown said he considered the Beaugay Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Sunday at Belmont for Fluffy Socks’s first start of the year.
“I thought maybe a mile was a little short for her,” Brown said.
Nope – just right.
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