A fourth-out graduate over this course last March, Celestine returned four weeks later to take this venue's Sanibel Island S. for previous trainer Billy Kaplan. Transferred to Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the dark bay captured Belmont's Wait a While S. last May and the Wild Applause S. a month later and was subequently benched. Fading to a head-scratching 10th as the heavy favorite in Churchill's GII Mrs. Revere S. when next seen Nov. 14, she missed by a neck behind “TDN Rising Star” Tammy the Torpedo (More Than Ready) in the Tropical Park Oaks Dec. 19. Stalking a very quick pace last time in this venue's Feb. 27 Sand Springs S., she made the first run and took the lead into the stretch before getting just a bit leg-weary late and being run down by a pair of closers to finish third.
Breaking from the inside stall, Celestine and her outside neighbor Mississippi Delta beat the other five runners out of the gate. They moved together into the first turn, but under just a bit of urging from Junior Alvarado, Celestine took the initiative and kicked on by a length through a relaxed quarter-mile in :24.44. The dark bay continued on her measured pace down the backstretch, leading through a half in :48.42 with Mississippi Delta and Sandiva close in tow. Her pace rival inched closer as they swung around the far turn and the pair showed the way into the lane. Given a few right-handed reminders from Alvarado, Celestine soon shook off Mississippi Delta and drew away passing the eighth-pole to score a decisive victory. Mississippi Delta won a three-way photo for the place ahead of Sandiva and Elusive Collection (Elusive Quality).
“You always worry about the course being a little slippery,” Mott said. “I wasn't sure how that was going to work out, but she seemed to handle it well. I thought she could very well be on the lead the way it looked on paper. I didn't think that was any surprise.”
Mott also started race favorite Lady Lara (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}), who never got involved and finished sixth.
“She made a little run around the turn and then flattened out, which isn't like her,” Mott said. “I thought they'd be running at [Celestine] at the end, but she ended up running away from them.”
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HONEY FOX S.-GII, $300,000, GP, 4-2, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:36.09, gd.
1–@CELESTINE, 119, f, 4, by Scat Daddy
2nd Dam: Hello Barbara Sue, by Dehere
3rd Dam: Barbara Sue, by Big Spruce
O-Phaedrus Flights LLC; B-Phoenix Rising Farms (KY); T-William
I Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $182,280. Lifetime Record: 11-5-2-1,
$409,755. *1/2 to Haunted Heroine (Ghostzapper), MSW,
$267,150. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A.
[bullet ad=”woodsgayle-grad”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Mississippi Delta, 119, f, 4, Giant's Causeway–Texas to a Tee,
by Purge. O-Jackpot Ranch & Mike G Rutherford; B-Mike G
Rutherford (KY); T-Mark E Casse. $58,800.
3–Sandiva (Ire), 123, m, 5, Footstepsinthesand+%28GB%29">Footstepsinthesand (GB)–Miss
Corinne (GB), by Mark of Esteem (Ire). (£18,000 Ylg '12
DNPRM). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Denis McDonnell (IRE); T-Todd
A Pletcher. $29,400.
[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 3 1/4, NK, NO. Odds: 5.30, 12.20, 2.90.
Also Ran: Elusive Collection, Tammy the Torpedo, Lady Lara (Ire), A Little Bit Sassy. Scratched: E B Ryder.
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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