Soleil Volant noses Thundering in Kent for first stakes win
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Trainer Graham Motion has had to sit and wait four months for Soleil Volant to finally seal the deal for his first stakes victory. His patience paid off in the $150,000 Kent on Saturday, when the 3-year-old gelding closed from sixth on a soft Delaware Park turf course to win a thrilling stretch run by a nose.
“He’s just a really hard-knocking blue-collar horse,” Motion said. “[Samuel Marin] gave him a great ride today. He really appreciated the distance and I don’t think he minded the soft turf. It was really gratifying. I’m very pleased for the owners.”
Since earning a runner-up finish in the $100,000 James W. Murphy at Pimlico in May, Motion’s gelding has appeared to be a top turf runner-in-waiting. Subsequent performances in the $100,000 Tale of the Cat and Grade 3 Old Dominion Derby were also competitive, but he simply couldn’t take the next step.
There were several points before and during the Kent when it appeared Soleil Volant might have to settle for another minor prize. The bettors made him the 3-1 second choice behind Jonathan Thomas' gelding Geometry.
In the stretch, stalking outsider Thundering seemed likely to beat her to the wire. Soleil Volant needed every inch of the 1 1/8-mile race to turn the tables, completing the distance in 1:50.73 and paying $9.80 to win.
Early leader Hope’s Alive didn’t make things easy for the closers when he took an uncontested lead through an opening quarter-mile in 24.62 seconds and the half-mile in 48.59. Thundering, runner-up in the $125,000 Toronto Cup at Woodbine for trainer Patrick Dixon, moved into second under Jomar Torres on the backstretch and took over for the tiring front-runner on the far turn to lead by a length in the stretch.
After saving ground on the rail and tipping out on the far turn, Marin and Soleil Volant got the jump on their closing rivals turning for home and advanced into second entering the stretch. Thundering proved difficult to catch, however, as Torres unleashed her in the final furlong with plenty in reserve.
Even with a few strides to go, it seemed like Thundering was going to hold his closing rival at bay, but Soleil Volant had enough left for one last acceleration. He did just enough to draw alongside and win the bob, earning a long-overdue victory by the slimmest of margins.
Thundering finished second by 1 1/2 lengths over Versus, who closed from last to pick up the pieces for trainer Kelly Breen.
Christiana Stakes
Mischief in Motion made every step a winning one in the $150,000 Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park on Saturday. Trainer Mike Trombetta expected a better showing from his 3-year-old filly in her second stakes start and she cruised home under Angel Cruz to win by 3 1/2 lengths.
Trombetta switched Mischief in Motion from dirt to turf in August, when she improved to win a $72,000 allowance at Colonial Downs. Encouraged by the performance, the trainer entered her in the $250,000 Old Dominion Oaks, where she finished sixth by 5 1/2 lengths.
“She ran on the soft turf at Colonial last time and she didn't do so well, but she was taken to rate and ran even,” Trombetta said. “She broke well and I didn't give Angel any instructions. He's never seen her before today, and she broke running and he just kind of finessed her along. It occurred to me running down the backside that she looked like she was handling the ground really well.”
The filly had never shown early speed in any of her previous seven starts, but she looked the part when Ruiz sent her to a half-length lead over Pretty Lavish through an opening quarter-mile in 25.43. The field of eight didn’t ask much of the front-runner on the backstretch, allowing her to complete the half-mile in 51.35 while extending her lead to a length.
Closing contender Sigh No More and 16-1 longshot Conch Fried Rice tried to make up ground from the back of the field, but as Mischief in Motion turned for home, but because of the slow fractions, the stalkers were her only rivals with a chance turning for home. Pretty Lavish was already fading through the field, leaving 5-2 favorite Don’t Jinx It and third-time starter Ambaya to finish the job. Both fillies ran on without making a serious bid.
Cruz managed to conserve plenty of energy through the race, and when he called on Mischief in Motion for more, she easily kicked away to lead by two lengths turning for home. She extended her advantage from there, completing the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:51.99.
Don’t Jinx It, who stalked from third for most of the race, inherited second on the far turn and held on by a half-length for trainer Miguel Clement. Ambaya, a precocious runner trained by Jonathan Thomas, took third by three-quarters of a length over deep closer Sigh No More, who is sure to have better days with a quicker pace in front of her.
Endine Stakes
When the $150,000 Endine Stakes was cut to four fillies, Striker Has Dial gained a lasting advantage as the field’s only front-runner. Jockey Jaime Rodriguez managed to slow things down aboard the 4-year-old sprinter and held off stubborn rival Alani to win by a neck.
Before the race, trainer Horacio De Paz said that he would leave trip decisions to Rodriguez, but when the small field became even smaller without Happy Clouds and Admiral Hopper, there were few decisions left to make. Striker Has Dial, who ran first or second in his four prior starts, went straight to the front and completed the opening quarter-mile in 22.74.
Alani chased in second while Sunday Girl, the morning-line favorite who went off at 7-2, settled two lengths back in third. The first quarter-mile was brisk, but without any serious pressure on the front end, Rodriguez and Striker Has Dial managed to get away with a half-mile in 46.42.
Sunday Girl and Discreet Ops, the trailer all the way, had no chance of making up ground, leaving Alani to challenge from second for trainer Mike Moore. Striker Has Dial kicked away to lead by two lengths entering the stretch, and though Alani re-rallied to make one final bid near the wire, he came up short by a neck. Striker Has Dial completed the six-furlong sprint in 1:11.35.
Bettors were quick to pick up on the likely pace scenario in the race and made the morning-line second choice a heavy 3-5 favorite. He paid $3.20 to win.
Alani finished five lengths clear of David Duggan filly Sunday Girl, who prevailed for third by a head over Discreet Ops.
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