Wertheimer and Frere’s homebred In Tune captured her stakes debut in
Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000
Gulfstream
Oaks after a stretch-long duel with Davona Dale runner-up House Rules. The
pair duked it out through the lane, with In Tune just getting her neck in front
on the line to move her career record to an unbeaten three-for-three.
Jockey Javier Castellano settled In Tune just off the pacesetting Whomping
Willow through splits of :24, :47 3/5 and 1:11 1/5. The Unbridled’s Song filly
drew even with the leader rounding the turn and found company to her outside in
the form of House Rules, who had been tracking just behind. Those two battled it
out with In Tune finishing 1 1/8 miles over the fast Gulfstream Park dirt in
1:50.
Sent off the even-money favorite, In Tune paid $4 for the win. It was 3 3/4
lengths behind the top pair to America, who was followed under the wire by
Camille Claudel, Joint Return, Penwith and Whomping Willow. Holiday Magic was
withdrawn.
“She’s
an
amazing
filly.
She
was
really
fighting,”
Castellano praised In Tune.
“When
she
saw
that
other
filly
coming,
she
took
off
gain.
She’s
undefeated. I give all the credit to the filly. She was stretching out (at 1 1/8
miles) today, and she was wonderful.”
In Tune broke her maiden for trainer Todd Pletcher on January 12 at
Gulfstream while going 6 1/2 furlongs, then stretched out to 1 1/16 miles on
February 27 to add a 2 3/4-length optional claiming decision to her resume.
Saturday’s successful initial stakes bid boosted the gray filly’s earnings to
$229,350 and awarded her 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series.
That’s enough to assure In Tune a spot in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks starting gate.
“It’s
rare
that
you
have
one
come
along
this
quickly,
a
short
maiden
to a
long
‘a
other
than’
to a
graded
stakes,”
Pletcher
said.
“She
stepped
up
in
class
and
distance
each
time
and
passed
every
test,
so
I’m
very
proud
of
her.
“She
showed
a
lot
of
courage
down
the
lane.
We
anticipated
that
there
would
be
some
other
speed
in
there
so
we
felt
like
with
our
post
position
(6)
that
we
could
sit
off
of
it
if
we
needed
to.
It
pretty
much
unfolded
like
we
thought.”
Pletcher
was
especially
proud
of
the
way
his
filly
fought
back
when
challenged
by
the
Allen
Jerkens-trained
House
Rules.
“Any
time
one
of
The
Chief’s
comes
to
you,
you’ve
got
to
be
nervous.
He’s
the
greatest,”
Pletcher noted.
“We’re
proud
of
our
filly
for
digging
in
and
getting
it
done.
There’s
a
very
strong
headwind
coming
down
the
lane,
but
the
track
is
playing
fairly.”
The Kentucky-bred In Tune is out of the winning Affirmed mare Wichitoz,
making her a full sister to Grade 3-placed stakes scorer Affirmatif and a
half-sibling to Grade 3-placed stakes winner Chitoz. Wichitoz is herself a
half-sister to 1992 champion sprinter Rubiano and the dam of Grade 1 winner and
leading sire Tapit. Another of Wichitoz’s half-siblings is the grandam of 2009
champion three-year-old male and Belmont Stakes conqueror Summer Bird.
In Tune’s fourth dam is Foggy Note, who is best known for producing dual
Grade 3-scoring top sire Relaunch, and this female family is also responsible
for Grade 1 hero Golden Act, who placed in the 1979 editions of the Kentucky
Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, and 1993 champion two-year-old filly Phone
Chatter.
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