The seemingly endless rain and yielding course did not bother European invader Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) one bit as she effortlessly ran away with Belmont's GI Man o' War S. Saturday, besting males for the third time in her career. She is the first female to win the Man o' War since champion Waya (Fr) captured the 1978 renewal. Receiving Lasix for the first time in this Stateside bow, the Dermot Weld pupil was hammered down to 4-5 favoritism from a 5-1 morning-line quote in this scratched-down field of five. Away well under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the 5-year-old mare sat in a comfortable second as Charming Kitten (Kitten's Joy) walked the dog through absolutely glacial early fractions of :27.47, :56.45 and 1:24.16. Drawing even with the pacesetter as he registered a mile in 1:49.69, Zhukova instantly rocketed clear of her competition and cruised home a dominant six-length winner. Taghleeb (Hard Spun) was a nose clear of Sadler's Joy (Kitten's Joy) in second.
“We're absolutely over the moon with that,” said Mark Weld, son and assistant to trainer Dermot Weld. “It was a major target over the last few weeks. The rain came, which was a huge help. Johnny [Velazquez] was very complimentary about her. He said she could have a future here. She'll come home now, but the [GI Breeders' Cup] Fillies & Mares Turf would be a definite possibility to finish off the year. We have the [G1] Yorkshire Oaks in August. We won the Grade I now, so she can have a free pass for the rest of the year.”
Weld continued, “I was concerned with the fractions. My big fear is that she would get caught, but her class won out. We've known she's a good mare for a little while. You don't beat the Breeders' Cup winner Found very easily, and she beat her pretty handily [in the Alleged S.]. She's a homebred. We've had her since she was a foal bred by my grandmother. This is huge for us today. We have a lot to look forward to.”
Zhukova, who RNA'd for 540,000 guineas as a yearling at the 2013 Tattersalls October, kicked off 2016 with a victory in the Curragh's Alleged S. last April, a race in which 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Turf heroine and 2016 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe S. victress Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) finished third. The bay romped by 7 1/2 lengths in the G3 Blue Wind S. going 10 furlongs over a soft course at Naas May 11 and was subsequently shelved. Returning four months later in Leopardstown's 1 1/2-mile G3 Kilternan S. Sept. 10, she beat males by a half-length, but finished a head-scratching seventh next out in Ascot's G1 British Champions S. Oct. 15. Zhukova's efforts were still deemed good enough to earn her the title of 2016 Highweight Older Mare at 4 on European Freehand, 9 1/2-11f, and she started this season with a two-length score over a yielding 12 furlongs in the Noblesse S. at Cork Apr. 15.
Pedigree Notes:
Zhukova is out of 2006 G1 Irish One Thousand Guineas victress Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself a daughter of Irish Highweight Caumshinaun (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}). The winner's year-older half-brother New Year's Night (Ire) (Raven's Pass) summoned 800,000 guineas from Godolphin's John Ferguson at the 2012 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Ferguson also signed the ticket on Zhukoba's 3-year-old half-sister Midnight Fair (Ire) (Raven's Pass), a 450,000 guineas purchase at the 2015 renewal of Tattersall's October, and her now 2-year-old half-brother Pitch Dark (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who hammered for €1.1 million as a Goffs November weanling. The youngest offspring out of Nightime is a yearling filly by Zoffany (Ire).
Saturday, Belmont Park
MAN O' WAR S.-GI, $392,000, BEL, 5-13, 4yo/up, 1 3/8mT, 2:25.31, yl.
1–&ZHUKOVA (IRE), 114, m, 5, by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
1st Dam: Nightime (Ire) (G1SW-Ire, $299,507), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Caumshinaun (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Ridge Pool (Ire), by Bluebird
(540,000gns RNA Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-John D. Murrell; B-Mrs C.
L. Weld (IRE); T-Dermot K. Weld; J-John R. Velazquez.
$240,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Mare at 4 on European
FH, 9 1/2-11f & MGSW-Ire, 10-7-0-0, $479,310.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”itm-g1″]2–Taghleeb, 121, h, 6, Hard Spun–Judhoor (GB), by Alhaarth
(Ire). O-Michael M. Hui; B-Shadwell Farm, LLC (KY); T-Michael
J. Maker. $80,000.
3–Sadler's Joy, 117, c, 4, Kitten's Joy–Dynaire, by Dynaformer. O-Woodslane Farm; B-Woodslane Farm (KY); T-Thomas Albertrani. $40,000.[bullet ad=”timber-town-foaled”]Margins: 6, NO, 3/4. Odds: 0.90, 10.20, 3.50.
Also Ran: Charming Kitten, Wake Forest (Ger). Scratched: Patterson Cross, Twilight Eclipse, Highland Sky.Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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