Trainer Chad Brown has always been vocal about Gina Romantica‘s tendency to run her best races in the fall. The Peter Brant-owned five-year-old mare proved as much again on Saturday, capturing the $728,750 First Lady (G1) for a second time and her third in a Grade 1 at Keeneland’s fall meet.
Though winless in five starts since beating stablemate In Italian by a head in last year’s First Lady, Gina Romantica signaled her gradually improving form at Saratoga over the summer, when she narrowly missed in the Diana (G1) and Ballston Spa (G2). Sent off as the 3-1 second choice in a field of 11 fillies and mares in the First Lady, her victory this time around proved more decisive.
Well placed in third as slight favorite Ag Bullet carved out the pace, Gina Romantica headed that rival passing the quarter pole, poked her head in front at the furlong marker, and drew off to win by two lengths over stablemate Chili Flag. It was a 1-2-3 finish for Brown, who was winning the First Lady for the seventh consecutive time, as Fluffy Socks edged Ag Bullet for third by a neck.
Completing the order of finish was Evvie Jets, Tarawa, Special Wan, Walkathon, Whitebeam, Implicated, and Safeen.
Gina Romantica covered one mile over the firm turf in 1:33.80 and paid $8.84.
“The break was key today,” winning jockey Jose Ortiz said. “She broke very alert and put me into a great position going into the first turn. I was very happy throughout the backside, and when we hit the quarter pole, there was an opening between two horses and she exploded.”
All three of Gina Romantica’s graded wins have come during October at Keeneland. She kicked off the streak in 2022 when winning the nine-furlong Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1).
Gina Romantica was beaten only a length against the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita last season. She could target that race again, or perhaps the Matriarch (G1) later this fall. Both races will be held at Del Mar.
Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall, Carrie Brogden, and Craig Brogden, Gina Romantica was a $1.025 million Keeneland September purchase. By Into Mischief, she was reared by the Unbridled’s Song mare Special Me. That makes her a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Gift Box and Grade 2 winners Stonetastic and Special Forces.
Our Shot earned his first career stakes win in the $320,463 Woodford (G2), a 5 1/2-furlong turf dash he finished second in last season. The five-year-old gelding turned in the best late kick to win by 1 3/4 lengths under Luis Saez.
There was a blanket finish for the minor placings, with Charcoal grabbing second by a neck over Arzak, who had finished two lengths ahead of Our Shot winning the 2023 Woodford. A nose farther back was Coppola, who had a neck on the dead-heating One Timer and lukewarm favorite Nobals, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) winner. Twelve ran.
“He was coming into this race doing really well,” said John Terranova, who trains Our Shot and co-owns the son of Kantharos along with Gatsas Stables and Steve Schoenfeld. “We saw a little something extra in him this week — his attitude, just his whole mental attitude and everything since he got here — so were pretty confident he was going to run a good race, hoping it set up well and he got a good trip.”
Our Shot covered the course in 1:02.36 and paid $13.66.
A Pennsylvania-bred, Our Shot was exiting a head loss in the Harvey Pack S. at Saratoga, a race he lost by a neck last year prior to his second in the Woodford.
