France: Ace Impact rallies from far behind in Prix du Jockey Club
A day after a son of the late stallion Deep Impact, Auguste Rodin, won the Derby in England, a horse named Ace Impact turned heads winning France’s Derby, the Prix du Jockey Club, on Sunday at Chantilly.
Flying home from the back of the field under Cristian Demuro, Ace Impact passed favored pacesetter Big Rock with 100 yards left and bounded home a 3 1/2-length winner.
Ace Impact never had started in a Group stakes race until Sunday, but was brought up to the Prix du Jockey Club in perfect order by trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, who won the race for the fifth time in eight years. Now unbeaten in four starts, including one start at age 3 and a pair of listed-stakes successes before Sunday, Ace Impact looks like the leading 3-year-old in France after flying past the highly regarded Big Rock.
Big Rock came into the Jockey Club on a four-race win streak of his own, his most recent a five-length pasting of six rivals in the Prix de Guiche. Going to the front under Aurelien Lemaitre, Big Rock came into the Chantilly homestretch clear of 10 rivals, and with 1 1/2 furlongs left to race, his lead still looked comfortable.
Ace Impact, meanwhile, sat 10th along the fence until Demuro wheeled him wide with a little more than a quarter-mile left to race. Ace Impact hit top gear with about a furlong remaining and had no trouble whipping past Big Rock to win going away.
Big Rock ran a winning race in his own right, finishing 2 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Marhaba Ya Sanafi, winner last out of the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, France’s 2000 Guineas.
Ace Impact is by Cracksman, a four-time Group 1 victor and winner of the 2017 Prix Niel at Chantilly, and is out of Absolutly Me, by Anabaa Blue. Racing over good going, Ace Impact was timed in 2:02.63 for 1 5/16 miles, a quick time and the fastest French Derby since the race’s distance was adjusted to 1 5/16 miles in 2005.
Ace Impact debuted last year racing 1 1/4 miles, never has run shorter than 1 3/16 miles, and figures to be a key player in races between 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 miles – including the Arc - the rest of 2023.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.