9th-TP, $20,800, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($50,000), 2-19, 3yo, f, 6f (AWT), 1:11.37, ft.
ACAPULCO (f, 3, Scat Daddy–Global Finance {MSW, $181,000}, by End Sweep) was sent off the prohibitive 1-5 favorite while facing six seemingly overmatched 3-year-old fillies and was ultimately made to work for it, but came away with a 1 1/2-length victory at a balmy Turfway Park Friday evening. Scratched down into gate two, the hulking chestnut was away in good order, but allowed a few others to go on with it early and was guided out into about the four path with some cover as they raced into the turn. Irad Ortiz Jr., who flew in from New York for the ride, asked Acapulco for some run as they left the quarter pole and she quickly joined pacesetting Sweet Ruth E. (Twirling Candy) at the top of the stretch. Acapulco looked as if she might roll right past that one, but the front-runner proved tenacious and it was not until the final 40 yards that the result was settled. The $180,000 Fasig-Tipton July purchase turned $750,000 OBS March juvenile validated 5-2 favoritism in breaking her maiden in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot last June and was last seen finishing a game second in York's G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. in August. Acapulco is expected to return to Royal Ascot for the G1 Commonwealth Cup this coming June. The winner, a half-sister to Prenuptial (Broken Vow), SW, $120,470, is kin to a Bodemeister juvenile filly of this year and a full-sister to Acapulco is reportedly already on the ground this winter. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-Eng, 4-2-1-1, $210,254. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Michael B Tabor, Mrs John Magnier & Derrick Smith; B-Charles Giles (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
