She's Got You gets first U.S. win with Violet Stakes

Regally bred She's Got You got in the win column in the U.S. as she rallied for a neck victory in the $100,000 Violet Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, the penultimate day of the New Jersey track's season.

British-born She's Got You, by emerging young European sire Kingman, races as a homebred for the Glennwood Farm of John and Tanya Gunther, best known as the breeders of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. The filly is out of their unraced Lemon Drop Kid mare Without You Babe, also the dam of Breeder's Cup Dirt Mile and Godolphin Mile winner Tamarkuz, and of Without Parole, a Group 1 winner at the renowned Royal Ascot meeting who was third in last year's Breeders' Cup Mile.

She's Got You was multiple stakes-placed in England last year before coming to Brown in the U.S. after the season. In her first stateside start, also her first outing in more than eight months, she rallied to finish third in an allowance-optional claiming race July 5 on the Belmont turf, beaten a head. That race was at a mile; she got an additional sixteenth to work with in the Violet.

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She's Got You ($5.40), who was sent away favored in the Violet, was unhurried early by Joe Bravo. She trailed the field through the opening half-mile as meanwhile, just over three lengths ahead, Valedictorian turned in that opening split of 48.22 seconds while under pressure from Story Time on her flank.

She's Got You began advancing under her own power on the far turn, and was set down by Bravo with a four-wide run at the quarter poile. Still fourth and with about three-quarters of a length to make up in midstretch, she found a final gear to edge Altea, also trained by Brown, by a neck at the wire.

"I guess because of the layoff she was very intense and fresh," Bravo said. "So my hardest job was to get her to turn off and relax. I know the proper turf race is to sit in the pocket and go, but they were so bundled up ahead of me and going so slow I just wanted to get her running early into the turn. Chad Brown’s training took over from there."

She's Got You stopped the clock in 1:42.50 for the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf.

Two lengths behind the top two, came Lucky Stride, who rallied from fifth at the quarter pole to be third.