Watsdachances of a DQ in the Beverly D?

When Jamie Spencer announced that he was unretiring last August, preferencing race riding to a ‘desk job,’ it was moments like these he had in mind. Carrying the colors of Sheikh Fahad al Thani’s Qatar Racing, the 35-year-old shoved Secret Gesture–a close fifth behind the Chad Brown-trained Dayatthespa (City Zip) in last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf–past defending champion Euro Charline (GB) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) and looked home free. Stephanie’s Kitten emerged from the backfield and was gaining inches, but was steadied sharply behind Secret Gesture, so much so that Watsdachances was able to dive home second. Following a lengthy deliberation, stewards decided to take down Spencer’s number, the jockey’s second Festival DQ after guiding Powerscourt (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) to an apparent victory in the 2004 Million. It was the second time in the history of the race that a winner was involved in a disqualification (Let’s Elope {NZ} demoted from first to third in 1993).

A maiden winner in a pair of Irish starts for Ger Lyons, Watsdachances won the GIII Miss Grillo S. and was runner-up to Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast) in the 2012 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and capped a sometimes-frustrating 3-year-old campaign with a stakes success at Aqueduct. Runner-up in the 2014 GIII Gallorette H. and third in the GIII Matchmaker S., the bay was fourth in the 11-furlong GIII Glens Falls S. in August and filled the same spot behind Stephanie’s Kitten in the GI Flower Bowl Invitational S. in late September before calling it a year. She had just two runs under her belt this term, a one-length score in the Gallorette May 16 and a near-miss second last time in the GII Dance Smartly S. at Woodbine July 5.

Euro Charline caught a flyer out of the gates and led clear under the wire for the first time as Secret Gesture showed speed from her high draw to do the chasing. Carla Bianca (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), front-running winner of the G3 Meld S. last time out, landed in third, while stablemates Stephanie’s Kitten and Watsdachances settled in the second half of the field. Euro Charline remained the boss as they raced into the final 5 1/2 furlongs and there was little change in the plot entering the final turn. Asked to come after the pacesetter following three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.04 over the increasingly rain-affected ground, Secret Gesture finally claimed that one with a little less than a furlong to run, but soon had Stephanie’s Kitten to deal with. With his mount lugging in once in front, Spencer went to a left-handed stick and Secret Gesture began edging to her right. Well aware, Spencer switched his whip, but the damage had been done. Watsdachances, ground-saving throughout, gained at the fence in upper stretch and, while never winning, got her head down ahead of Stephanie’s Kitten, an ultimately decisive move.

“You want to win them outright, but she’s the hardest-trying, most genuine filly I’ve ever had,” commented part-owner Peter Bradley, who also campaigned 2014 GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner and Eclipse Award winner Dayatthespa (City Zip). “She was giving it her all there in the late stages and I’m just thrilled.”

With a ticket in hand for the Filly & Mare Turf–to be run at the Beverly D. distance at Keeneland Oct. 30–Bradley said the decision of just how to get there will be left up to his trainer.

“Chad [Brown] will make that decision,” he said. “Do you go to Keeneland for a race like the [$400,000 GI] First Lady S. [Oct. 3] to get a race over the track? She likes Belmont, so we could go there as well.”

Like Dayatthespa, who was sold to Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings for $2.1 million at Fasig-Tipton last November, Bradley indicated that Watsdachances would in all likelihood be offered at public auction this fall.

Saturday, Arlington
BEVERLY D. S.-GI, $700,000, AP, 8-15, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 3/16mT, 1:57.36, yl.
1–&WATSDACHANCES (IRE), 123, m, 5, by Diamond Green (Fr)
1st Dam: High Finance (Ire), by Entrepreneur (GB)
2nd Dam: Phylella (Ire), by Persian Bold (Ire)
3rd Dam: Tumblella, by Tumble Wind
O-Michael E Kisber, Bradley Thoroughbreds & Nelson McMakin; B-P G Lyons (IRE); T-Chad C Brown; J-JoeBravo. $407,400. Lifetime Record: 18-6-5-3, $1,146,294. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
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2–Stephanie’s Kitten, 123, m, 6, Kitten’s Joy–Unfold the Rose, by Catienus. ($30,000 RNA Ylg ’10 KEESEP; $17,000 RNA 2yo ’11 OBSAPR; $3,950,000 RNA 5yo ’14 FTKNOV). O/B-Kenneth L & Sarah K Ramsey (KY); T-Chad C Brown. $135,800.
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*3–Secret Gesture (GB), 123, m, 5, Galileo (Ire)— Shastye (Ire), by Danehill. (230,000gns RNA Ylg ’11 TAOC). O-Qatar Racing Ltd & Newsells Park Stud; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. $67,900.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 8.90, 3.70, 6.10.
Also Ran: Euro Charline (GB), Wedding Vow (Ire), Carla Bianca (Ire), Lacy (Ger), Maid On a Mission, Mango Diva (GB). Scratched: Lots o’ Lex.
*Finished first, but disqualified to third.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.