Ortiz guides Alpine Princess to first graded stakes victory in Falls City
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The other day, a trainer, one Brad Cox, talked about how the jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. so frequently positions his mount in just the right spot. Cox would know. He and Ortiz have forged a steady Kentucky partnership this autumn.
On Thursday at Churchill Downs, in the Grade 3, $400,000 Falls City Stakes, Ortiz, as per usual, had his mount in the right spot, and Cox had chosen the right spot for Alpine Princess to notch an overdue first graded stakes score. Wearing down stubborn 27-1 shot Corningstone, the only one in the Falls City who offered any resistance, Alpine Princess scored by a widening two lengths.
Corningstone easily held second, more than five lengths clear of third-place Raging Sea, the Falls City fourth choice, her win odds a tick longer than those of Regaled, who finished a neck behind her in fourth. Then came 2-1 favorite Royal Spa – who stalked the pace and never reached contention – Neon Icon, In Just My Heels, and Chilled.
Only in her last start, the most recent among 16, had Ortiz ridden Alpine Princess, who was beaten a head and a neck in a pair of graded stakes last winter. And only twice in in those 16 outings had Alpine Princess established an early lead. That she had won both those times apparently had not escaped Cox’s attention: Ortiz came out of the gate aggressively and before bending into the first of two Falls City turns had established a clear lead.
“She broke a lot better than last time, and we [didn’t] see too much speed in the race, so we tried to be close,” Ortiz said. “Brad told me to break running out of there and see where you’re at.”
The first quarter mile came up a surprisingly tepid 24.41, which was insufficiently fast for Corningstone, who got somewhat strong with jockey Joseph Bealmar coming off the clubhouse turn, putting her ears back and making for the lead. The calm that Ortiz kept as Corningstone rushed past must have rippled through the reins and into his mount, as Alpine Princess readily assented to being taken off the fence and out into the clear, to race with a target rather than as one.
Corningstone, getting her half in a moderate 48.52, opened up to lead by about two lengths into the far turn, but going to the three-furlong marker Ortiz and Alpine Princess commenced a steady advance. Alpine Princess forged to the front at the quarter pole, had a half-length lead at the stretch call, and drew slowly but steadily away to the wire. She ran 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:50.46 and paid $6.82 as the second choice.
Cox trains Alpine Princess for Full of Run Racing and Madaket Stables. The 4-year-old filly, winning her sixth race, is by Classic Empire out of Lemoine, by Curlin, and was bred in Kentucky by Betz, DJ Stable, Peter V. Lamantia, and the Classic Empire Syndicate. Irad Ortiz put her in the right spot Thursday, and Alpine Princess was spot-on.
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