Cavorting struggled in a pair of starts over a one-turn mile during the early portion of her career, but with maturity has come a new-found ability to switch off and rattle home. With the underrated Florent Geroux taking over at the controls for the first time, the 'TDN Rising Star' quickened up nicely at the quarter pole and ran out an easy winner of the Ogden Phipps, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for this year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.
Accorded her Rising Star status with a double-digit maiden success over this track, she led home a Bernardini one-two in the GII Adirondack S., but was well-beaten trying eight furlongs in the GI Frizette S. to close out 2014 and in the GII Davona Dale S. to kick off her 3-year-old season. Cut back to sprint trips thereafter, the $360,000 Keeneland November weanling rattled off three straight, including the GI Test S. and GII Prioress S., but was only fourth as the lukewarm favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Third in the GI La Brea S. to wrap up a successful sophomore campaign, Cavorting was runner-up to the flying Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper) when giving that one four pounds in the Apr. 17 GIII Distaff H., but successfully stretched back out to the mile lasts time, easily defeating Carrumba by five lengths in the GII Ruffian S. May 14.
Cavorting was away without incident and dropped herself back to second-last, with only the slow-starting Forever Unbridled behind her, as 58-1 no-hoper Desert Valley (Desert Party) led from reigning Distaff champ Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat), romping GI La Troienne S. victrix Curalina (Curlin) and Sheer Drama (Burning Roma) stacked up to her outside. While Forever Unbridled began to chart a danger-filled course up the fence leaving the half-mile pole, Geroux had Cavorting nicely covered up behind Sheer Drama, and right about the time Joel Rosario hit traffic at the head of the lane aboard Forever Unbridled, Cavorting was switched out and around rivals. Showing a surprisingly quick turn of foot, the Stonestreet runner opened daylight and the result was not in doubt from there. Forever Unbridled, shuffled to last, did very well to be second ahead of Phipps Racing's Carrumba.
“Her pedigree indicated that she wanted to go further,” explained Kiaran McLaughlin, saddling the Phipps winner for the second straight year (Wedding Toast {Tapit}, 2015). “Being by Bernardini, her third start we tried the Frizette, but it was a funny racetrack that day a little wet. One turn is great and we're real happy to win the Phipps two years in a row.”
That Cavorting has managed to achieve success over increasing distances is not entirely surprising. Her sire was a two-time Grade I winner over a mile and a quarter, while her dam was scopey enough to take the GII Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup H. Promenade Girl was also third in this event in 2007. Originally a $1.125 million purchase at Keeneland November later that year, Promenade Girl was sold to C. McCormack for $335,000 in foal to War Front at the 2012 Keeneland November sale. That foal, a filly bred by Camas Park Stud, was a $290,000 graduate of the 2014 Keeneland September sale, while Cavorting's close 2-year-old relation Thirstforlife (Stay Thirsty, by Bernardini) was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following an impressive graduation June 4 and was third in the Kentucky Juvenile S. in two career starts. Promenade Girl foaled a colt by The Factor in 2015 and was most recently bred to Uncle Mo.
Saturday, Belmont Park
OGDEN PHIPPS S.-GI, $980,000, BEL, 6-11, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:40.14, ft.
1–CAVORTING, 117, f, 4, by Bernardini
1st Dam: Promenade Girl (GSW & MGISP, $678,990), by Carson City
2nd Dam: Promenade Colony, by Pleasant Colony
3rd Dam: Dance Review, by Northern Dancer
($360,000 Wlg '12 KEENOV). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC;
B-Swettenham Stud (KY); T-Kiaran P. McLaughlin; J-Florent
Geroux. $535,000. Lifetime Record: 12-7-1-1, $1,663,000.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.[bullet ad=”kbif-g1″][bullet ad=”eaton-sold”]2–Forever Unbridled, 121, f, 4, Unbridled's Song–Lemons
Forever, by Lemon Drop Kid. O/B-Charles E. Fipke (KY);
T-Dallas Stewart. $185,000.[bullet ad=”mckathan-brothers-training-grad”][bullet ad=”cecil-seaman-biomechanical-mating-recommendation”]3–Carrumba, 117, f, 4, Bernardini–Castanet, by El Prado (Ire).
O/B-Phipps Stable (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $100,000.
Margins: 2HF, HF, 3/4. Odds: 4.30, 3.35, 10.60.
Also Ran: Curalina, Sheer Drama, Stopchargingmaria, Desert Valley.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
