Haras Santa Maria de Araras’ homebred POMMES FRITES (Dynaformer) earned her
first stakes win in gate-to-wire fashion on Saturday when taking the $112,300
Beaugay H. (G3)
at Aqueduct. The Bill Mott-trained filly led comfortably through dawdling splits
in :24 4/5, :49 4/5 and 1:13 4/5 over the firm turf and opened a clear lead
turning for home in the 1 1/16-mile affair, but she had to dig in bravely in deep stretch to hold off
an oncoming Naissance Royale (Ire) (Giant’s
Causeway) at the wire, winning by a head in 1:43.
Ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, Pommes Frites was the slight 5-2 favorite in
the field of eight and returned $7.20, $4.40 and $3.20. Naissance Royale, who
stalked the pacesetter before just missing in a game performance, was
off at 6-1 and gave back $5.70 and $3.40. Brunilda (Arg) (Mutakddim) finished 1
3/4 lengths back in third at 5-2 and paid $3.20. Omeya (Chi) (Milt’s Overture),
Asti (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), Angara (GB) (Alzao), Little Buttercup (Labeeb [GB]) and Laurafina (Cozzene)
rounded out the order of finish. Half Heaven (Regal Classic), Samsincharge
(Dixie Brass) and the main-track only No Sleep (Robyn Dancer) were all
withdrawn. The exacta paid $42.80, trifecta $146.50 and 5-3-9-10 superfecta
$911.
Bred in Kentucky, Pommes Frites improved her overall mark to 12-6-0-1, with
$212,646 in earnings, and the four-year-old filly recorded her third consecutive
victory, following a pair of allowance wins at Gulfstream Park earlier this
year. The dark bay’s best previous stakes finish was a close fourth in the Frances A. Genter S. (G3) three starts
back. She’s out of the winning Dolce Amore (Relaunch)
and has a yearling half-sister by Lido Palace (Chi) and a 2006 full brother. Dolce Amore is a half-sister to six stakes winners, including
Argentinean Group 1 winners Bleding (Arg) (Utopico) and Sings (Utopico).
“She could always run,” Mott said of the winner. “It has just taken a little
maturity and seasoning to get her to this level. The pace scenario worked out
very well for us today, and she was very game in the stretch. She’s the kind of
filly we can move around and find a spot for her anywhere.”