FILLY & MARE TURF DIARY
APRIL 15, 2005
by Jennifer Caldwell
BARANCELLA (Fr) (Acatenango) has shown nothing but improvement
since shipping to the United States last fall. The chestnut miss tried her luck
against top-class company overseas, but she could never quite find the wire
first in a group event. In September, she
made her stateside debut in the Garden City Breeders’ Cup S. (G1) at Belmont
Park, finishing second, and then came to Kentucky to try the Queen Elizabeth II
Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1) in mid-October.
The now Bobby
Frankel-trained sophomore followed eventual winner Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal
Applause [GB]) all the way around the Queen Elizabeth and put in a game effort to be
second, just a
half-length back at the wire. That was her final start of 2004 and Barancella made her
seasonal bow in the Santa Ana H. (G2) two back, running fifth, just 2 1/4 lengths
back of Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal).
Barancella returned 11 days later in March 31 allowance at Santa Anita
Park. After breaking in the rear of the seven-horse field, she raced in last
through the opening half, but by the time three-quarters had been reached in 1:11
1/5, jockey Patrick Valenzuela had give her the signal and she began to slowly,
but surely, pick off her rivals. By the time Barancella reached the
wire, she was 1 1/4 lengths clear of the second-place finisher. The chestnut
filly could make her return to stakes company after this race, so be on the
lookout.
MEA DOMINA (Dance Brightly) broke her maiden while going 1 1/16
miles on the turf, then captured the Harold C. Ramser Sr. H. by two lengths.
Trainer Ron McAnally switched her back to the dirt for her next start, the La
Brea S. (G1), which she dropped by six lengths, then sent her back to the green
for an allowance at Santa Anita in her four-year-old bow. Mea Domina won that mile test
by a neck, then returned on April 1 to take another Santa Anita allowance by
three lengths (no foolin!). In that one, the bay lass set the pace after a bumpy
start and cruised home under a hold. Among those she beat that day was Group 1
winner Rinky Dinky (Aus) (Distorted Humor), and the bay filly earned a nice 101
BRIS Speed rating. A return to turf stakes should be in the near
future.
HONEY RYDER (Lasting Approval) proved her neck win in the 1
3/8-mile The Very One H. (G3) in early March was no fluke on April 2. The Todd
Pletcher trainee moved up a step to try the Orchid H. (G2) at Gulfstream Park
and skillfully handled her competition. Under top jockey John Velazquez,
the gray filly raced in midpack until the stretch then came out a bit and
rallied late to score by a half-length. That gave her a second straight stakes
win this year, and Honey Ryder could move on up to try Grade 1 company if she continues
to show improvement.
ELUSIVE DIVA (Elusive Quality) proved once again that she, too,
prefers the turf over the main track when capturing the Las Cienegas H. (G3) at
Santa Anita last Sunday. She made her four-year-old debut in the Wishing Well
H., then was entered in the Buena Vista H. (G3), where she ran third by five
lengths. Returned to the green for the Las Cienegas, the bay lass easily posted
a four-length win and earned a career-best 107 Speed figure. Elusive Diva is
another who could move on up the graded ladder.