Southern Honey whips elders in Winning Colors

Southern Honey has the Test as her major summer objective (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) Ashbrook Farm’s Southern Honey was the lone three-year-old — and stakes debutante — in Monday’s Grade 3, $111,000 Winning Colors Stakes, but the Rusty Arnold pupil proved that natural talent can trump experience with a smooth decision at Churchill Downs. With regular rider Julien Leparoux aboard, Southern Honey stalked in third as Socialbug winged through fractions of :21 2/5 and :44 2/5 on the fast track. Warm Breeze was her nearest pursuer in second, but could get no closer. Instead, it was Southern Honey who swept into contention in midstretch. Although Socialbug still held the lead at the five-furlong split in :56 2/5, she was becoming increasingly vulnerable to the rallying Southern Honey. The sophomore overtook the longtime leader to win going away by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:08 3/5 for six furlongs. The 4-1 third choice paid $10.20 to win. “When we drew the nine-hole, I was thrilled,” Arnold said, “because I knew how much speed was in here, and it gave us a chance to ease her off the speed if she would do it and she had a perfect trip. It was just what we were looking for.” “The main part was to see if she could relax off the speed horses, and she did today,” Leparoux said. “She’s a nice filly, I mean a three-year-old against older horses?

“That was a tough race for her and an ambitious race to run, but I was
confident because of how well she’s been doing. She’s been very easy to ride the
last few times, obviously it was a little different company today, but I knew I
had a lot left in the gas tank from the two races before. I was very happy to
see her prove herself today.”

Socialbug had 3 1/4 lengths to spare over third-placer Warm Breeze, and her
connections were pleased with the runner-up’s performance.

“I couldn’t be happier with the way she ran,” said Jim Barnes, assistant to
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. “That was a tough spot. It wasn’t an easy
race. Miguel (Mena) rode her well and did exactly what I told him to do. That’s
the way that filly wants to run — she wants to run ’em off their feet and it
almost worked.”

“I had instructions to go to the front and set the pace, and don’t worry
about taking a hold of her,” Mena said. “The filly was pretty happy on the lead.
She was going fast, but she just got outrun. We got hooked by a really nice
filly at the end.”  

Cozze Up Lady checked in fourth, followed by 9-5 favorite Apropos, who never
threatened after a slightly tardy and bumpy break; Aireofdistinction; Jamacan
Smoke; and the troubled pair of Sweet Cassiopeia and Anahauc.

Apropos’ trainer Al Stall Jr. believed she ran flat.

“There was nothing I could see,” Stall said. “She just appeared to be dull
for whatever reason. She didn’t break sharp and was kind of never in the race.
That’s the opposite of how she was training. She was just never there, for
whatever reason. That’s not like her.”

Southern Honey’s resume now reads 5-3-1-0, $150,017. Second in her only start
as a juvenile here on November 30, the bay was a rank fourth in her reappearance
at Gulfstream Park March 2. Southern Honey hasn’t lost since. She broke her
maiden with a 5 3/4-length wire job at Keeneland on April 5, and cleared her
entry-level allowance condition in the same fashion at Churchill on May 2. That
front-running performance came at seven-furlongs, but she had no difficulty in
shortening up a tad while stepping up in class on Memorial Day.

“I was questioned on that move,” Arnold said of jumping into a Grade 3 versus
older distaffers, “but she came out of her race so well on Oaks Day and her
breeze was just fabulous, so I thought instead of shipping her we’re going to
try take on the old fillies, and it worked.”

Southern Honey will now revert to sophomore company.

“My goal is the Test (Grade 1 at seven furlongs on August 2 at Saratoga),”
the trainer added. “That’s really why I didn’t ship her. I was going to have to
ship her all the way to New York and then have to come back. But the Victory
Ride (a Grade 3 over 6 1/2 furlongs on June 29 at Belmont Park) is probably what
I’m looking at next.”

Bred by Whisper Hill Farm in Kentucky, Southern Honey is from the first crop
of Colonel John. She initially sold for $155,000 as a weanling at Keeneland
November before bringing $180,000 as a yearling at the same venue the following
September. Southern Honey was produced by the unraced Carson City mare Mama Tia,
who is a half-sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Runway Model; Grade 2-placed
stakes scorer Mambo Train; and Grade 3-placed Elena Strikes, third in Monday’s
Jersey Girl at Belmont.

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