Leaving the gate as the 3-2 favorite, Folk Opera waltzed through fractions of
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“It was a gift,” Dettori said of the slow pace. “I was pleased with her going
into the first fifth of the race. I knew she would be very hard to catch.”
“Folk Opera is a different class, really, than all of the fillies in this
race,” Suroor said.
Callwood Dancer just held the hard-charging Sealy Hill (Point Given) by a
head for runner-up honors, yielding $9.20 and $6.10 at 12-1. Reigning Canadian
Horse of the Year Sealy Hill, who was second in this event last year,
encountered traffic trouble at the top of the stretch. After extricating
herself, the 11-1 shot finished strongly and furnished $5.70 to show. J’ray
(Distant View) reported home another half-length back in fourth, trailed by
Toque de Queda (GB) (Dansili [GB]), Royal Pleasure (Royal Academy), Hostess
(Chester House), Green Lyons and Classy Landlady (Sky Classic).
Folk Opera boosted her bankroll to $819,951 while advancing her record to
11-5-2-2. The chestnut was scoring her third stakes coup of the season,
following the Pinnacle S. at Haydock in May and the Prix Jean Romanet (Fr-G2) at
Deauville in August. Her 2008 record also includes runner-up efforts in
the Lillie Langtry S. (Eng-G3) and Aphrodite S., and as a sophomore in 2007, she
was a close third in the Lingfield Oaks Trial S.
Bred by Abbeville and Meadow Court Partners in Ireland, Folk Opera was sold
for $193,610 as a Tattersalls October yearling. She was produced by the Halling
mare Skiphall (GB), who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Skipping (GB)
(Rainbow Quest) and multiple English stakes victress Innocent Air (Galileo
[Ire]). This is the family of Irish and Italian highweight Muhtarram (Alleged),
Italian champion St Hilarion (Sir Ivor) and current Grade 3 star Communique
(Smart Strike).
Suroor left the door open for the Breeders’ Cup.
“It will depend on how she comes out of the race,” the horseman said.
In the waning yards, however, True to Tradition responded to the
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True to Tradition, who racked up his first stakes score in the Turf Monster
H. over Heros Reward in his latest, has compiled a mark of 23-10-5-0, $670,651.
Bred in Kentucky by Live Oak Stud, the six-year-old bay gelding is a
half-brother to multiple Grade 2-winning sire Successful Appeal (Valid Appeal).
They are sons of the winning Fortunate Prospect mare Successful Dancer.
“We’re very excited about the Breeders’ Cup,” Lake said. “I’ve been dying to
get back there.”
Although Skipadate was the more experienced of the two, having just missed in
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A debut maiden winner over the course on August 30, Grand Adventure is
two-for-two with $200,358 in earnings. He is the first registered foal from the
unraced Val Marie (Coronado’s Quest), and his second dam, the stakes-placed
Devine (Seattle Slew), is a full sister to multiple Grade 1 star Lakeway. Bred
in Kentucky by Gulf Coast Farms, Grand Adventure was a $75,000 yearling purchase
at Fasig-Tipton July.
Frostad confirmed that Grand Adventure would aim for the Breeders’ Cup.
“Absolutely — if he comes out of the race in good shape, sure,” the trainer
said.