Caledonia Road won two of her three lifetime starts in 2017, but the highlight came with a 3 1/4-length romp in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar on November 4. That was more than enough for the Ralph Nicks-trained miss to be honored as the champion two-year-old filly of 2017 on Thursday night.
TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY | FIRST-PLACE VOTES | |
CALEDONIA ROAD | 161 | |
Rushing Fall | 68 | |
Moonshine Memories | 17 | |
Dream Tree | 2 | |
Dream It Is | 1 | |
Road to Victory | 1 |
Caledonia Road broke her maiden at first asking on September 3, taking a Saratoga maiden special weight by 2 3/4 lengths at 10-1 odds. That contest came over a sloppy track, and the Quality Road filly made her stakes bow next out on the good dirt at Belmont Park in the Frizette Stakes (G1).
Once again nowhere near close to being favored when sent off at 8-1, Caledonia Road filled the second spot while stretching out to a mile in the October 8 affair. She did earn a 100 BRIS Speed rating for the Frizette, and headed west for the Breeders’ Cup off the runner-up effort.
The bay lass attracted the highest odds yet of her career at 17-1, but was also finally racing over a track rated fast and going 1 1/16 miles. Caledonia Road ran widest of all in the 13-strong field, rallied to pass nearly every other rival and drew off to be 3 1/4 lengths clear on the line.
That improved the Florida-bred filly’s record to 3-2-1-0 and boosted her career earnings to $1,229,800. She currently sits atop the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard with 24 points toward a starting berth in the May 4 Kentucky Oaks (G1).