By J.N. Campbell
Down on the Lone Star Park turf, Ritzaphena (Lexitonian–Ritz and Glitz, by Desert Party) held on late to graduate at first asking and also hand her first-crop sire his first win.
The 2-year-old exited from the extreme outside and worked her way over nicely to rate in third around the far turn. Gearing up through the backstretch, the filly started to make her move on the leader and she took control around the far turn. Ritzaphena was pursued by Shidoni (Gormley) down the lane, and she found the wire in time to don cap and gown.
A Calumet homebred by Speightstown who stands at the farm, Lexitonian's racing days were marked by a massive score in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga in 2021. Currently, the freshman sire has 59 foals of racing age.
The winner's dam Ritz and Glitz (Desert Party) is responsible for a yearling filly by Volatile and she was sent to Echo Town for last spring. Her own unraced dam, Tani (Theatrical {Ire}), is a full-sister to GI Flower Bowl Handicap heroine Dahlia's Dreamer.
5th-Lone Star, $33,000, Msw, 7-13, 2yo, f, 7 1/2fT, 1:31.18, gd, head.
RITZAPHENA (f, 2, Lexitonian–Ritz and Glitz, by Desert Party) Sales History: $20,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $75,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $19,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
O-Sandeep Patel; B-Brandywine Farm (Jim & Pam Robinson) (KY); T-Jayde J. Gelner.
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