Potential Breeders’ Cup contenders were out in full force for a trio of graded stakes on Sunday afternoon at Aqueduct.
Up first was the $250,000 Beldame (G2), a 1 1/8-mile prep for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). Raging Sea, coming off an upset win over champion Idiomatic in the Personal Ensign (G1), started as the 1-10 favorite against five rivals. After rating in fifth place behind modest fractions of :23.98, :48.31, and 1:13.34, Raging Sea had to work hard to outkick 22-1 shot Batucada, but ultimately did so by a head in 1:50.41. Flavien Prat guided the winner.
“She’s a late-running horse and takes a little bit to get in gear out of the gate,” said winning trainer Chad Brown, “but Flavien knows her so well, and that was a tough foe down on the inside that fought back and made for a closer finish than we thought.”
Signal From Noise, Frosty O Toole, Majestic Creed, and Libban completed the order of finish behind Raging Sea, a four-year-old daughter of Curlin owned and bred by Alpha Delta Stables.
Raging Sea could have shipped from Aqueduct to Keeneland to battle Idiomatic again in Sunday’s Spinster (G1), but Brown explained why he felt the Beldame was a better prep for the Breeders’ Cup.
“I chose this race because I thought there was a possibility she might bounce a bit off her last effort — it was just such a strong run up at Saratoga to run down a super horse (Idiomatic), and I thought she’d feel that race in her next one,” said Brown.
“So, I thought I’d maybe pick an easier spot for her. I think we saw a little bit of her hanging and waiting a little bit, which she has done in the past. I also think she felt that race at Saratoga late today. That was part of my reasoning for staying home and running in a much easier spot than the Spinster. The more I thought about it, I thought she’d feel that race from Saratoga and react a bit. I’m happy to get maybe a soft bounce out of the way off that race and hopefully circle back to that race at Saratoga if you’re going to go out west (to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff) and tackle the best.
“Someone might read that and say, ‘Off of that, why would you go out there and tackle those?’ But like I said, I view it as I handicapped a bit of a bounce into this race, and I was relieved to sort of escape with a victory knowing that she felt her last race. I’m confident with the four weeks I have and her not having to run a fast figure today that she’ll be able to again hopefully circle back to that Saratoga race. That race — with the right pace setup — is good enough to at least be competitive out there.”
The $200,000 Miss Grillo (G2) served as the second stakes on the card. The 1 1/16-mile turf test awarded a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to Scythian, a Lawrence Goichman homebred daughter of Tiz the Law who sprung an 11-1 upset.
With Junior Alvarado in the saddle for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Scythian saved ground about two to three lengths off the pace through fractions of :23.26, :48.71, and 1:13.47. When frontrunning Marvelous Madison bolted outward approaching the homestretch and carried pace-tracking rivals Grace and Grit as well as Lavender Disaster with her, Scythian inherited the lead and maintained it to the wire, defeating stretch-running 2-1 favorite Virgin Colada by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:42.68.
“I was just looking at Manny (Franco, aboard Marvelous Madison),” said Alvarado. “Manny’s filly was looking like she wanted to bolt from past the three-eighths pole. So, I was just trying to figure it out — I’ve got horse, where do I go. Is he going to pull her back inside or is she going to bolt? Knowing I had plenty of horse to make my move whenever I wanted to, it gave me a chance to wait a little longer. When that happened, that’s when I zoomed in the inside and she took off after that.”
Virgin Colada edged Correto by a head for runner-up honors, followed by She’s Got Will, Rare Art, Shifty, Annie Goodbody, Salt, Daisy Flyer, Grace and Grit, Marvelous Madison, and Lavender Disaster.
Mott indicated that the Breeders’ Cup is likely next for Scythian: “I’m sure as long as she comes back good, that will be what we’re doing.”
The stakes action wrapped up with the $175,000 Matron (G3) for two-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs over the outer turf course. A dozen horses faced the starter, and a sustained rally from Abientot carried the Mark Casse trainee from 11th place to first place in the final quarter-mile.
Stiff early fractions of :21.58 and :44.48 set the stage for Abientot to close successfully under jockey Dylan Davis and prevail by a neck. Bred by Killora Stud and owned by Tracy Farmer, Abientot reached the finish line in 1:08.31 to emerge as a possible Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) contender.
“She’s just tiny and we’ve been able to bring her along since April. She’s a barn favorite,” said Shane Tripp, assistant to Casse. “The way she came home today was unbelievable, and Dylan has got to be one of the better riders on the planet right now. We’re blessed to have him in our life.”
Civetta closed from midfield to finish second, followed by Yougottahavehope, Will Not Be Swayed, Laurice, Pop Idol, Baytown Butterfly, Miriam’s Fire, Flirting With Time, I’mwishingonastar, Serene Spirit, and Second Chance.
