A drop in class and the addition of blinkers for Friday’s $250,000 Comely (G3) proved the right tonic for Actress, who snapped a three-race losing skid by an emphatic 8 1/4 lengths in the nine-furlong feature for three-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.
Under Jose Ortiz, Gary and Mary West’s homebred daughter by Tapit rated in third from a three wide position as Run and Go set a pokey pace of :25.34 and :49.84. The leader fell back on the far turn as 19-10 favorite Miss Sky Warrior assumed the lead and held a one-length advantage over Actress after three-quarters in 1:14.07.
However, the favorite proved no match for Actress, who burst to the lead in upper stretch and drew away under light urging. The 5-2 second choice, she paid $7.30 after completing one-lap of the Big A oval in 1:52.66 over a fast track.
“The [blinkers] helped her a lot,” Ortiz said. “She broke a little bit better and she pulled herself close and when I asked her to go, she responded very well. It was a clear run to the first turn and I didn’t take a hold of her; I let her go on her own and I let her take the position that she wanted. I just sat on her until the quarter pole. The longer she goes, the better it is for her.”
Parade, who saved ground to the stretch before swinging wide for her late rally, edged Miss Sky Warrior for second by a nose. The order of finish was rounded out by Tapella, You Know Too, Analyze, Bonita Bianca, and Run and Go.
Trained by Jason Servis, Actress debuted at Gulfstream on March 19, finishing second there as well as in the $75,000 Game Face over the same track. Stretching out from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, Actress rallied to take the May 19 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico by a head in a maiden-breaking effort.
A half-length third to It Tiz Well in the Delaware Oaks (G3), she preceded this with a fourth to Elate in the Alabama (G1) and a sixth to It Tiz Well in the Cotillion. Her record now stands at 7-2-2-1, $395,150.
Bred in Kentucky, Actress is out of Canadian champion Milwaukee Appeal, by Milwaukee Brew.
