Cosmic Evolution breaks maiden in Debutante; Viva Majorca takes Kelly’s Landing

Cosmic Evolution breaks maiden in Debutante; Viva Majorca
takes Kelly’s Landing

Cosmic Evolution flew home in the Debutante (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) Stephen L. Fidel’s Cosmic Evolution (Proud Citizen) finished second in her career debut on May 21 at Churchill Downs, but returned under the Twin Spires on the track’s closing card of the spring meet to take the $100,000 Debutante S. by 1 1/2 lengths under jockey Calvin Borel. The Lon Wiggins pupil stayed close to the pace set by Langstars Charmer (Langfuhr) through an opening quarter in :22 1/5, circled the turn about four wide and reeled in Tia Chuy (Archarcharch), who had taken over exiting the backstretch after pressing the early leader. Cosmic Evolution continued motoring in the lane and galloped out well past the line after finishing six furlongs on the fast main track in 1:11 4/5. “She broke sharp; that really helped. And Calvin (Borel) got her to relax good. When he called on her she came running,” Wiggins said. “I’ll have to watch the replay a couple of times because it looked like she was trying to drift out a little bit, pulling on that left rein. But she ran good. She ran real good.” “I’ve been working her,” Borel noted. “You know, we got beat the first time but she needed it. I came back and told Lon (Wiggins) that those horses would never beat her again. She stood up to the plate.

“She was trying to drift a little bit with me today. Maybe
she was a little bit anxious because, boy, she wanted to run early and I didn’t
want her in front today. She relaxed under me and where I wanted her. When I
asked her she went on like a good horse. That’s the way you do it.

“Lon told me to do what I want. We’re worried about the
future and down the road where we know she can finish.”

Borel will be taking a slight hiatus now that Churchill is done.

“I’m gonna take a little break over the summer to rest up, vacation and
heal,” he explained before adding, “but I’ll be there (for Cosmic Evolution),
don’t you worry about that!”

Cosmic Evolution paid $12.60 after being sent off the 5-1 fourth choice in
the seven-filly field. Even-money favorite Adhara (Cowboy Cal) finished second,
2 3/4 lengths up on fellow Steven Asmussen trainee Areolite (Tapit), while Tia
Chuy filled out the superfecta another 1 1/4 lengths behind.

“She had a good trip on the rail, but I don’t think she was really too
enthusiastic about being down there,” said Corey Lanerie, who had piloting
duties aboard Adhara. “I think if maybe I could have gotten her outside she
would have given me a little more effort down the lane and we could have given
the winner a run for it and maybe got by her. But it’s hard to say. At the time
that I chose to stay on the rail, the leader was so far off of it in front of me
that I couldn’t’ give it up.”

Thievery (Valid
Expectations), Sheza fine Justice (Regal Ransom) and Langstars Charm completed
the order of finish following the scratch of Don’t Boss Me (Street Boss).

Cosmic Evolution is now 2-1-1-0 and has banked $69,560 in her career. The
juvenile miss, who sold for $20,000 as a Keeneland September yearling last year,
was bred in Kentucky by Gabriel and William Duignan & Tranquility Investments
Ltd.

The chestnut miss is the first registered foal out of the winning Laheen
(Ghostzapper) and comes from the same female family as Grade 2 scorers Naissance
Royale (Giant’s Causeway) and Bio (Linkage). Farther back her female line boasts
champion Revidere (Reviewer) and multiple Grade 1-winning leading sire Harlan’s
Holiday (Harlan).

Later on the card, Marylou Whitney Stables homebred Viva Majorca (Tiago)
rallied late in the $67,750

Kelly’s Landing S. to wrap up the stakes action on Churchill’s closing card
of the spring meet.

With Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard, the four-year-old gelding bided his time in
the rear of the 10-strong field as 18-1 shot Good Lord (Greatness) set the pace
through fractions of :22 3/5, :45 and 1:09 2/5. That one appeared ready to hang
on to the wire, but suddenly hit the wall in late stretch.

Schivarelli (Montbrook), the 2-1 favorite, was chasing the leader and looked
ready to claim command, but Viva Majorca suddenly came powering down the center
of the track and drove past to post a half-length victory. The Ian
Wilkes-trained bay returned $10.60 at 4-1 for finishing seven furlongs on the
fast dirt in 1:22.

“He’s fast horse,” Hernandez said. “We sat back and when I called on him he ran home really nice and
finished up great. He ran big. He showed up. I think the seven-eighths might be
his best way.”

Viva Majorca earned his first stakes win in this spot following a fourth in
the Aristides S. (G3) last out, and improved his career record to 12-4-1-1. The
Kentucky-bred, whose fourth dam is 1975 Kentucky Oaks (G2) queen Sun and Snow
(*Hawaii), has accumulated $195,700 in lifetime earnings.

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