Shrinking Violet rallies to win Daisycutter

DEL MAR, Calif. – Shrinking Violet and jockey Kent Desormeaux have become fast friends at Del Mar this summer.

After the 5-year-old Shrinking Violet arrived from Kentucky in July, Desormeaux worked the mare twice on turf. On Friday in the $92,530 Daisycutter Handicap, Desormeaux put that knowledge to work. Shrinking Violet closed with a wide rush to win her second stakes of 2015 in the five-furlong turf race for fillies and mares.

“She had major overdrive speed turning for home,” Desormeaux said. “I couldn’t wait to ride her.”

Shrinking Violet gave Desormeaux his third win on Friday’s eight-race program.

Shrinking Violet ($5.80) was timed in 56.98 seconds and finished 4 3/4 lengths ahead of 3-5 favorite Home Journey, who led in the stretch. Our Pure Creation, the 62-1 longest shot in a field of eight, finished third, followed by Amaranth, Windy Forecast, Harlington’s Rose, Lucky Mo, and Mark of a Gem.

Desormeaux had Shrinking Violet in fifth on the turn and rallied to take the lead with less than a furlong remaining. She was three or four lengths off the pace on the backstretch behind an early pace of 22.34 seconds set by Amaranth.

“She’s fast, and if they’re faster than her, they’re smoking,” Desormeaux said. “I was sitting back there pretty confident.”

Shrinking Violet races for owner and trainer Wesley Ward. The mare, by Congaree, won the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in January but was third in the $100,000 The Very One Stakes for fillies and mares at Pimlico on May 16 and sixth in the Grade 2 Highlander Stakes against males at Woodbine on July 5.

The well-traveled Shrinking Violet has won 8 of 19 starts and earned $454,728. Remarkably, one of those wins was in a $30,000 claimer for 2-year-olds at Keeneland in October 2012.