E. Paul Robsham Stable’s homebred R Heat Lightning dominated Saturday’s Grade
2, $300,000 Gulfstream Oaks under
jockey John Velazquez, romping by 8 1/4 lengths under her own power to finish 1 1/8 miles on the
fast Gulfstream dirt in 1:49 1/5.
“She’s starting to relax more in her races,” Pletcher said. “She’s not an
easy filly to ride, but Johnny has gotten to know her and what to do. You’re
always a little concerned when they have to go wide in the first turn like that,
but she was in the clear, which in the important thing.”
Triune led the way around the first turn, with Kindersley
keeping in close attendance before dropping back a little on the
backstretch. Salary Drive stalked down on the rail, while R Heat
Lightning was hung wide entering the backstretch. Velazquez settled her about
three wide through splits of :23, :46 1/5 and 1:10 4/5 on the backside, but the Todd Pletcher charge quickly pulled her way
into contention without any urging.
R Heat Lightning ranged up to the outside of Triune while Salary Drive was
coming up the rail to the inside of that rival. Triune couldn’t keep pace with
the pair and began dropping back while Salary Drive attempted to take the
advantage. R Heat Lightning was still on cruise control, though, and easily
began pulling away while under a hand ride. Velazquez never even went to the
whip, remaining chilly in the saddle until pushing her a bit nearing the wire to
get a bit more conditioning into his swift mount.
“She relaxed really well again today. The race set up perfectly,” said
Velazquez, who rode four of Pletcher’s five winners on the day. “They were going
fast enough so we could track the pace and have something to run at. She was so
relaxed and had plenty to finish. She made my day.”
Favored at 3-5, R Heat Lightning paid $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10. Island School
loped along at the back of the seven-filly field during the early running, but
rallied in the stretch to take second by four lengths over Salary Drive.
Trainer Shug McGaughey said there’s a distinct possibility that his runner-up
Island School will once again try to challenge R Heat Lightning in the Grade 1
Kentucky Oaks.
“It’s very hard to catch up over this track from the back, but we always want
to let her run her race, and that’s what we did today. I’m pleased,” McGaughey
said. “We’re eligible for an a-other-than (allowance) and we were just second in
the Grade 2 stakes. We thought going two turns was what she’d like, and she’ll
keep improving. I’ll have to think the Oaks is a possibility, I’ll have to talk
to Mr. (Will) Farish and see what he wants to do.”
The previously unbeaten It’s Tricky (Mineshaft), entering this one off an
eight-length score in the Busher S., followed in fourth by another 10 lengths as
the 8-5 second betting choice.
“It’s surprising. We thought she’d be on the lead or closer to the lead and
she was just a little dull today in the race. Maybe the change in climate coming
from New York to here might have been a factor,” said Neal McLaughlin, assistant
to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “She looks fine. She was just quiet out of the
gate.”
Kindersley and
Triune completed the order under the wire after Beso Grande was eased in the
final eighth.
R Heat Lightning suffered the only non top-two finish of her career when
fourth in the Grade 2 Forward Gal in her January 30 sophomore debut. She quickly
returned to form last out, though, when dominating the Grade 2 Davona Dale by 7
1/4 lengths. With this final prep for her main early season goal of the Kentucky Oaks on May 6 , the bay miss boosted her lifetime earnings to $952,800
and shows an 8-4-3-0 career mark.
R Heat Lightning began her racing career with a five-length maiden debut
victory at Delaware Park last July 5. She then finished second in her stakes
bow, the Colleen Stakes, at Monmouth Park before recording a four-length victory
in the Grade 1 Spinaway on September 5 at Saratoga. The filly closed out her
juvenile campaign with runner-up finishes in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Fillies at Churchill Downs and Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park.
Pletcher said he wasn’t surprised by R Heat Lightning’s sparkling performance
on Saturday.
“I wasn’t surprised that she ran that kind of race today after the way she
ran the last time, and she ran almost as fast as Awesome Maria,” said Pletcher,
referring to the 1:49 clocking of four-year-old Awesome Maria’s Rampart score.
“I didn’t think she got quite the respect she deserved after winning the
Spinaway and finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup last year, but now I think
she’ll be recognized at the head of the class.”
The Florida-bred sophomore is the second registered foal out of the winning
Yellow Heat, making her a full sister to last year’s Go for Wand Stakes third
Hot Trip and a half-sibling to an unnamed yearling colt by High Cotton.
R Heat Lightning’s fourth dam is 1970 Prioress S. winner Exclusive Dancer,
who would go on to really make a name for herself in the breeding shed. Among
Exclusive Dancer’s offspring is General Assembly, who captured the Grade 1
Hopeful in 1978 and Grade 1 Travers in 1979 as well as ran second in the latter
year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby; multiple Grade 3 heroine Expressive Dance; and
Grade 2 runner-up Ten Cents a Dance.
Upon retirement, Expressive Dance would produce Grade 1 winner Chief Honcho
as well as the dams of last year’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II victor Poet’s
Voice and multiple Grade 2 scorer American Chance. Ten Cents a Dance would do
even better as a broodmare, foaling multiple Grade 1 queen Versailles Treat,
herself the dam of Grade 2 victor Saarland.
Others of note in this line include Grade 1 star Gold Fever as well as Grade
1-placed Grade 3 winners Haka, Gemswick Park and Out of Place.