By Alan Carasso
LEXINGTON, Ky — Let go at an overlaid 7-1 given the presence of 'TDN Rising Star' and overwhelming 7-10 favorite Elate (Medaglia d'Oro) and GI Alabama S. winner Dunbar Road (Quality Road), Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) sat last of five in Sunday's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, but displayed a telling burst in the final furlong and a half to successfully defend her title in the nine-furlong test, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Nov. 3.
Taken a strong hold of by jockey Joe Bravo out of the gate, Blue Prize was content to trail as She's a Julie (Elusive Quality) showed the most early initiative, and when Adam Beschizza hit the gas aboard Vexatious (Giant's Causeway) to force the issue, Elate was consigned to a three-wide run into the first turn, and, indeed, the entire trip. All riders appeared happy with their positions as there was no significant change in the plot through the middle stages of the Spinster. Jose Ortiz made the first decisive move of the race midway on the far turn, allowing Elate to creep closer while three deep and the chalk hit the front looking every bit a winner in upper stretch. But Blue Prize was traveling equally well a couple of lengths adrift, was steered out and flashed home best of all for the victory. Elate, who ran 40 feet (about 4 1/2 lengths) further than Blue Prize, held for second, while Dunbar Road raced on the rail–arguably the least favorable part of the surface over the weekend–and plugged on gamely, but could do no better than third. With the tally, Blue Prize joins the likes of Bayakoa (Arg) (1989-1990) and Take Charge Lady (2002-3) as back-to-back winners of the Spinster.
Only out of the top three twice previously, including a fourth in last year's Distaff, Blue Prize was third to She's a Julie in the GI La Troienne S. May 3 and second to Elate in the GII Fleur de Lis H. at Churchill June 15 ahead of a third in the July 13 GII Delaware H. She got some welcomed class relief in her latest, defeating Vexatious by a neck in the restricted Summer Colony S. at Saratoga Aug. 18.
“To tell you that I thought I was going to beat Elate, I would be lying,” said winning trainer Ignacio Correas. “I thought she was sitting on a great race. She was coming into form. When we went to Saratoga, we were looking to put her in winning mode. We accomplished that. I thought if [jockey Joe Bravo] could relax her and if she had a target, she's going to run big.”
Blue Prize is one of 17 G1/GI winners for Pure Prize and is out of a three-time group-winning full-sister to SW & MGSP Cure For Sale.
Sunday, Keeneland
JUDDMONTE SPINSTER S.-GI, $490,000, Keeneland, 10-6, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:50.30, ft.
1–BLUE PRIZE (ARG), 124, m, 6, by Pure Prize
1st Dam: Blues for Sale (Arg) (MGSW-Arg), by Not For Sale (Arg)
2nd Dam: Key Cure, by Cure the Blues
3rd Dam: Dancer's Key, by Key to the Mint
O-Merriebelle Stable LLC; B-Bioart S.A. (ARG); T-Ignacio
Correas, IV; J-Joe Bravo. $300,000. Lifetime Record:
G1SW-Arg, 22-9-8-3, $1,592,253. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Elate, 124, m, 5, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Cheery, by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Yell, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Wild Applause, by Northern Dancer
O/B-Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider (KY); T-William I.
Mott. $100,000.
3–Dunbar Road, 121, f, 3, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Gift List, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Private Gift, by Unbridled
3rd Dam: Private Status, by Alydar
($350,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Jeffery J.
Drown (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $50,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 7.60, 0.70, 1.90.
Also Ran: She's a Julie, Vexatious. 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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