Sparkle Blue takes lead, stays there in Hillsborough Stakes

OLDSMAR, Fla. - In a race with no pace, Sparkle Blue found herself on the lead through slow fractions and, despite facing multiple challengers, she was up to the task to record a half-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares at Tampa Bay Downs.

Aspen Grove rallied along the rail and won a three-way battle for second by a neck over Fluffy Socks, who was a neck better than Elusive Princess. Star Fortress was fifth, followed by Embrace Me.

The race lost its likely pace when Marketsegmentation scratched due to being sick, according to her trainer Chad Brown.

Though Sparkle Blue had not shown a tendency to be on the lead, she basically inherited it under Jorge Ruiz and was able to set fractions of 25.58 seconds for the quarter and 52.11 for the half-mile and 1:17.44 for six furlongs.

:: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets.

Star Fortress, under Tyler Gaffalione, came up to Sparkle Blue at the quarter pole, but Sparkle Blue was able to fend her off. Aspen Gove, under Javier Castellano, came with a run along the rail, but Sparkle Blue had enough to hold on.

“I think she’s been knocking on the door to win one of these,” winning trainer Graham Motion said. “I don’t think she’s that far behind these guys if given the right circumstances.”

The circumstances presented Saturday were the lack of pace.

“I had a feeling she might end up on the lead,” Motion said. “Jorge let her do her thing and she did it pretty easily in the end."

Sparkle Blue, a daughter of Hard Spun and a half-sister to the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Shared Account, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.62 and returned $15.40 to win. Sparkle Blue is co-owned by Augustin Stable and Catherine Park.

The victory was the 500th career win for Jorge Ruiz, his first Grade 2. He won the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial in 2023.

As far as riding tactics Saturday, Ruiz said, “My filly broke very well and went to the front. I said 'let’s go, baby.' "

Javier Castellano, the rider of Aspen Grove, said the slow pace compromised his filly’s chances.

“I caught up to the horse that was in front, but she had something in the tank,” Castellano said. “I’m satisfied. She cut the corner and got through, but didn’t get there in time.”

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.