Hilda’s Passion easily wins Inside Information in
track-record time
Starlight Partners and C.E. Glasscock’s HILDA’S PASSION (Canadian Frontier)
carried her speed to a facile victory in Saturday’s $150,000
Inside
Information S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park and established a new track record in
the process, turning seven furlongs in 1:20.45. After breaking on top, the Todd
Pletcher-trained filly led by nearly two lengths through opening splits of :22
and :44 1/5, and she widened her advantage in the stretch, passing the
six-furlong mark in 1:07 4/5 en route to a 5 1/4-length decision beneath Javier
Castellano.
Hilda’s Passion bettered the 1:20.88 mark set by champion sprinter Big Drama
(Montbrook) in 2009.
“I know she has a lot of speed. What I really liked about today was how she
went to the lead but she was so relaxed,” said Castellano, who opened a two-win
margin over Velazquez in the jockeys’ standing with his third winner of the
afternoon. “She was really comfortable and when I asked her, it was amazing. She
just took off. I knew she was going to run fast, I didn’t know she was going to
break the track record.”
The four-year-old filly has now four of her last five starts, all stakes
races, and narrowly dropped her lone setback, a neck second in the Sugar Swirl
S. (G3) following a troubled trip in her 2011 opener. Winner of the off-the-turf
Bennington S. at Saratoga and the Raven Run S. (G2) on Keeneland’s Polytrack in
her final two outings last year, Hilda’s Passion entered the Inside Information
off a 2 1/2-length thrashing in the February 13 Hurricane Bertie S. (G3). The
talented female sprinter has now earned $430,256 from a 10-6-1-0 scorecard.
Heavily favored at 3-5 among six rivals, Hilda’s Passion paid $3.20, $2.20
and $2.10. Amen Hallelujah (Montbrook) tried vainly to challenge the pacesetter
approaching the stretch drive, but she never offered a serious threat while
maintaining a firm grasp of second. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to
Stephanie Got Even (Stephen Got Even) in third, and Ms Vanenzza (Successful
Appeal), Milwaukee Appeal (Milwaukee Brew) and Beautician (Dehere) rounded out
the order of finish. Choragus (Harlan’s Holiday) was withdrawn.
“She travels so smoothly that you don’t realize how fast she’s going, but
when I saw the 44 (half-mile), and Amen Hallelujah inch up to her, I thought she
might have a real race on her hands until she drew away in the stretch,”
Pletcher said.
Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Kuster in Kentucky, Hilda’s Passion RNA’d for
$4,200 as a Keeneland November weanling. She is out of the winning El Prado
(Ire) mare Executricker, whose latest foals are an unraced sophomore colt named
Mannak (Canadian Frontier), a full brother to Hilda’s Passion, and a juvenile
colt named Edge of the World (Quest). Further back, this is the family of
English highweight Twice Over (GB) (Observatory), who became a two-time winner
of the Champion S. (Eng-G1) last time out on October 16; Group 1 queen Passage
of Time (GB) (Dansili [GB]); champion Banshee Breeze (Unbridled); and Hall of
Famer and noted sire Damascus (Sword Dancer).
Pletcher said Hilda’s Passion will be pointed to the May 7 Humana Distaff
(G1) at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard.
“It’s also at seven-eighths,” Pletcher said. “She’s trained well over that
track in the past.”