Regal Glory wins Stewart Manor; Highway Star takes Staten Island

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord is no longer the only stakes-winning, unbeaten 2-year-old filly currently in trainer Chad Brown’s barn. After Sunday’s $100,000 Stewart Manor at Aqueduct, Brown has another in Regal Glory.

A daughter of Animal Kingdom, Regal Glory improved to 2 for 2 in taking the Stewart Manor. Unlike in her debut at Belmont Park on Oct. 6, when she ran away from her rivals by 5 1/2 lengths, she had to battle for this one, dueling down the lane with a stubborn Introduced and scoring by a nose in a photo finish that took the placing judges a few minutes to decipher.

It was a race neither filly deserved to lose. In outclassing their seven rivals, they finished 6 1/4 lengths clear of third-place Guacamole, the pacesetter.

Winning jockey Jose Ortiz said he knew Introduced would be difficult to beat, sensing that her jockey, Manny Franco, had her in high gear. “I’m just glad we got it at the end,” he said.

Regal Glory ($4) won despite spotting the field a length or two with a slow break, though she quickly recovered in the six-furlong race on the outer turf course. She advanced rapidly down the backstretch into contention, settling into third as Guacamole carved out splits of 22.33 seconds and 46.07 while pressed by Introduced.

Introduced took command entering the lane and maintained a narrow advantage over much of the stretch before Regal Glory surged over the final 70 yards, with the pair brushing in tight quarters. Regal Glory’s nose stopped the clock in 1:10.94 over a course Equibase chartcallers rated as “good.”

The $55,000 winner’s prize from the Stewart Manor elevated Regal Glory’s earnings to $96,250 for owner and breeder Paul Pompa Jr.

One race after the Steward Manor, a quick turnaround proved no issue for Highway Star in winning the $125,000 Staten Island Division of the New York Stallion Series, eight days after she ran eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Engulfing her statebred rivals with a decisive rally leaving the turn, the millionaire Highway Star proved to be in another league. She pulled clear to a five-length advantage with an eighth of a mile remaining and was geared down late by Irad Ortiz Jr., hitting the wire four lengths in front. She completed seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:25.58, returning $3.10.

“I couldn’t see anything with my right eye from the three-eighths pole on,” Ortiz said, referring to his goggles, largely covered by kickback. “So, I had to turn around big time to look with my left eye to watch for the competition. Once I realized I was okay, I saved something.”

Rodrigo Ubillo trains Highway Star, a 5-year-old daughter of Girolamo, for Chester and Mary Broman, her owners and breeders.

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