In Good Spirits ($31.80) goes from also-eligible to winner in Ladies Sprint
FRANKLIN, Ky. – Timing is everything, and doesn’t Al Stall Jr. know it.
“Twenty more minutes, and I was calling off the van,” Stall said after In Good Spirits – who made it off the also-eligibles and into the body of the race by that narrow margin – emerged a 14-1 winner for the trainer Saturday in the $563,100 Mint Ladies Sprint at turf-only Kentucky Downs.
Getting a clean forward trip from just off the pace after breaking from the outside post in a field of 12, In Good Spirits ($31.80) took over for longshot Violenza leaving the furlong grounds while driving to a two-length score over late-running Catch a Bid in the 6 1/2-furlong race. Superstition was third, while Venetian Harbor, the even-money favorite, faded to 10th after briefly leading in the early stages.
“Unbelievable,” said an elated Paul Varga, who owns In Good Spirits, a 4-year-old Ghostzapper filly, in the name of Bal Mar Equine LLC. “What a turn of events.”
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Stall fretted and stewed for a full week about whether In Good Spirits would make the race; entries were drawn seven days out, with his filly stuck on the also-eligibles list. Only when She’s So Special was ordered scratched by the state veterinarian at 9:40 a.m. Eastern on race day was there room for In Good Spirits.
Stall, stabled some two hours north at Churchill Downs, said 10 a.m. was the deadline he had set before giving up. He was thrilled when the Kentucky Downs stewards phoned, saying he could run.
“I said, ‘Let’s go,’ ” Stall said. “Funny how this game works.”
This was the first stakes win for In Good Spirits, who more than doubled her bankroll when earning $345,960 after finishing in 1:15.35 over firm going. She is 4 for 13 overall.
‘Grace’ dominates KD Ladies
Even after spotting her eight rivals a few lengths at the break, Princess Grace ($4.20) proved much the best in running her career record to 6 for 7 with a measured half-length score in the Grade 3, $660,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf going a one-turn mile.
Sent away a decisive favorite off a Grade 2 triumph in her previous start, Princess Grace steadily made up ground after settling at the back of the pack under Florent Geroux. She split rivals after the field straightened down the long stretch, powering home in 1:34.25 without Geroux asking for her very best.
“She was the best filly in the race,” Geroux said, “and I was able to save ground. When I called on her, she gave me a very nice turn of foot. The hole opened up, but sometimes the horse might not be fast enough to take advantage of it. But she put us where we needed to be.”
Dalika, trained by Stall for Bal Mar, was second, followed by Abscond and Shifty She.
Princess Grace, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Karakontie, is trained by Mike Stidham for her breeders, Susan and John Moore. The victory perpetuated a big Kentucky Downs meet for Stidham, who on Monday won the rich Mint Million with Pixelate.
“I love this cow pasture,” he laughed.
Princess Grace now has won four straight graded stakes after incurring her only career defeat last fall in the Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland. Before this, she won the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere at Churchill, the Grade 3 Penny Memorial at Parx Racing, and the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar. She, too, more than doubled her earnings and now has banked $886,860.
The Lir Jet wins Franklin-Simpson
The Lir Jet had raced down only straight courses in his nine overseas starts, but the European-style course at Kentucky Downs still suited him just fine.
Getting a sweet ground-saving ride from Tyler Gaffalione, The Lir Jet handled the Kentucky Downs turns – and its undulations and uphill finish – like an old pro, winning the Grade 2 Franklin-Simpson Stakes for 3-year-olds by 1 3/4 lengths.
The 6 1/2-furlong race offered a possible total purse of $600,000, but $300,000 of that money is reserved for Kentucky-breds and The Lir Jet was bred in Ireland. He earned a $174,840 first-place check from an available purse of $413,700.
Trained overseas by Michael Bell, the colt moved into the barn of Brendan Walsh for Saturday’s race, his first since June 26 at Newmarket. The Lir Jet, who showed one published workout at Turfway Park for this start, had come to America last fall, but was undone by post 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, where he finished second.
On Saturday, Gaffalione broke his mount out of post 2 and never moved away from the inside portion of the course. The Lir Jet got away somewhat slowly, but crept into contending position around the far turn and came into the stretch in the second flight of runners as pacesetting Into the Sunrise held firm on the lead. Gaffalione snuck his mount inside Into the Sunrise and The Lir Jet took care of the rest, buzzing past the leader in the final furlong on the way to a clear win.
Longshot Easy Time followed The Lir Jet up the fence and nipped Into the Sunrise for second as Fauci, who drew in from the also-eligible list, finished with interest on the far outside to get second. Point Me By, the 2-1 favorite, had his chance while positioned on the outside turning for home but came up empty and checked-in seventh.
The Lir Jet was timed in 1:15.38 over a firm course and paid $19.60 to win. The gelding, now a three-time winner from 11 starts, is by Prince of Lir out of Paper Dreams, by Green Desert, and is owned by Qatar Racing Limited and the Racehorse Club.