by Vance Hanson
Stamping herself has perhaps the best older mare on Polytrack in North
America, Michael Deegan’s Packattack turned in another tour de force over the
synthetic surface in Saturday’s $100,000 Arlington Matron S. (Grade 3). A
dominating 5 3/4-length winner of the Maple Leaf S. at Woodbine when first
trying Polytrack on the continent last November, Pachattack won by six lengths
this time and completed nine furlongs in 1:49 3/5. The 3-1 second choice, she
paid $8.40, $5.60 and $4.40.
Under Florent Geroux, a late substitute for the injured Junior Alvarado,
Pachattack enjoyed a ground-saving journey in midpack to the backstretch when
she began her advance. After splitting foes entering the far turn, Pachattack
seized the lead after three-quarters in 1:13 and opened up on her eight rivals
under minimal urging.
“She did it (make the lead) on her own,” Geroux said. “I pushed her just a
little bit because I didn’t want to get trapped behind horses that had
absolutely no chance. I think I had the best (mare) in the race so I wanted to
go faster. These horses from Europe can go all day.”
It was up
to a couple longshot closers to make it interesting for runner-up honors. In
that race within a race, the 10-1 La Gran Bailadora came from last to edge the
48-1 Home’s the Best by three parts of a length, with 2-1 favorite Upperline a
half-length farther behind in fourth.
The exotic payoffs were $81.40 (exacta), $2,055.60 (trifecta) and $16,156
(4-3-7-9 superfecta). Following Upperline across the finish line were It’s Tea
Time , Milwaukee Appeal, Satans Quick Chick, Santina Dond, who set early splits
of :24 3/5 and :49, and She’s All In. Spring Party was scratched.
A two-time listed stakes winner on turf in England last summer, the Gerard
Butler-trained Pachattack
made her first invasion of North America for such lucrative grass events as the
Beverly D. S. (Grade 1) and E.P. Taylor S. (Grade 1). After running sixth and
fifth, respectively, in those two races, the chestnut moved to Woodbine’s main
track for the 1 1/4-mile Maple Leaf, which she won n wire-to-wire fashion. Sent
back to England for a brief spring campaign this year, the five-year-old
finished third to males in the Winter Derby (Group 3) over Polytrack before
finishing far back in the grassy Dahlia S. (Group 3) at Newmarket.
Bred in Kentucky by Dapple Broodmares 2004, Pachattack was sold as a yearling
for $270,000 at Keeneland September. Produced by the English stakes-placed El
Laoob, she’s a half-sister to multiple stakes winner La Mina and the unraced
juvenile Absolute Crackers. This family is responsible for French Group 3 winner
Turning Wheel.