Stevenstan Stables’ FRENCH PARK (Ecton Park) faced a tough battle at the
top of the stretch but eventually put her foes away, drawing off to win Saturday’s $120,600
Pocahontas S. (G3)
by 1 3/4 lengths at Churchill Downs.
The Helen Pitts trainee sat just off the pace through the first half as Mykindasaint (Saint Ballado) set the first two splits
in :22 and :45 over the fast track. French
Park took control in the final quarter-mile, gaining a narrow lead through six furlongs in 1:10 1/5
and edging
clear to complete the one-mile event in 1:37 under jockey Mark
Guidry.
The juvenile miss paid $6, $3.80 and $3 as the 2-1 favorite, leading
exotics of $24.40 (exacta), $236.40 (trifecta) and $2,544.90 for the 8-3-11-9
superfecta ($1). Trippi Street (Trippi) put on a late move in the final furlong,
splitting rivals to come home second at 7-2 and give $5 and $4.20, while Coolwind
(Forest Wildcat) hit the wire another 1 1/4-lengths back and returned $6.20 for the
show at 11-1. Lady Danza (Cryptoclearance) completed the superfecta while Dance
Daily (Five Star Day), Performing Diva (Storm Cat), Trick’s Pic (Favorite
Trick), More Than Pretty (More Than Ready), Maggie Slew (Seattle Slew), Wild
Tonight (Wild Again), Motion (Albert the Great) and Mykindasaint rounded out the
order of finish. Swept Gold (Touch Gold) was scratched by the track
veterinarian.
Bred in Kentucky by Marvin Delfiner, the gray filly is out of the
Grade 2-placed mare Alarming Prospect (Darn that Alarm) and counts herself as a
half-sibling to an unnamed yearling colt by El Corredor and a weanling filly by
Aptitude. French Park remains
perfect from two career starts, breaking her maiden at first asking by 12 1/4
lengths at Keeneland. She sold for $75,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling
sale and
now shows earnings of $105,997.