Solow makes short work of winning Prix d'Ispahan
Racing under entirely different conditions, the emergent 5-year-old gelding Solow did the same thing Sunday at Longchamp he had in March at Meydan, galloping to an impressive Group 1 victory.
Facing just three foes and with primary rival Cirrus des Aigles failing to run to form, Solow made short work of the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan. Racing third under Maxime Guyon coming for home, he attacked the pace-setting Gaillo Chop with a little more than a furlong to run, overwhelmed the pacesetter with powerful acceleration, and was geared down to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
Solow’s win Sunday came around one right-handed turn and over ground with some give to it, circumstances far different than those present March 28 in Dubai, where Solow scored his first Group 1 win in the Dubai Turf. That race was run left-handed around two bends and over fast-playing firm turf, but at this point, Solow does not seem concerned with conditions on the ground.
Bred and owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer and trained by Freddy Head, Solow, a big, gray son of Singspiel, has turned his career around since being gelded and cut back to middle distances after an early focus on longer races. Solow now has won six straight starts and will try for his third straight Group 1 next month at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes. Head said in Dubai that a trip to the U.S. for a Breeders’ Cup start later this year was a strong possibility for Solow.
Cirrus des Aigles, meanwhile, brought up the rear Sunday but was compromised by tearing away half a hind shoe during the running.
Head and the Wertheimers earlier on the card sent out another impressive Group 1 winner, the homebred Queen’s Jewel, who ran her mark to three wins from three starts with a powerful score in the Saint-Alary for 3-year-old fillies.
Slow into stride under Guyon, Queen’s Jewel moved into contention with more than a quarter-mile to race, caught the leaders in upper stretch, and cruised to victory in a quick time of 2:00.87 for 1 1/4 miles. In a strung-out field, Wekeela finished second, and the German filly Olorda was third. By Pivotal, Queen’s Jewel, who didn’t debut until March 10, is likely to make her next start in the French Oaks.