Game Face determinedly takes the La Troienne

Game Face (inside) lived up to her name in the La Troienne (Mathea Kelley/Horsephotos.com)

Zabeel Racing International’s GAME FACE (Menifee) got the right pace setup in
the $168,450
La
Troienne S. (G3), but the 9-5 favorite had a fight on her hands through the
lane with 4-1 chance Keep the Peace (Touch Gold) before prevailing by a neck
under jockey John Velazquez, who also won the Churchill Downs S. (G2) earlier in
the card. Tracking in fourth behind splits of :22 3/5 and :44 4/5 set by Secret
Gypsy (Sea of Secrets), Game Faced rallied along the rail in the stretch to
engage Keep the Peace inside the final furlong and finished up 7 1/2 furlongs
over a fast track in 1:28 2/5.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Game Face returned $5.60, $3.20 and $2.60 while
keying the $18.20 exacta, $124.20 trifecta, and $300.20 superfecta (4-6-8-7).
Keep the Peace paid $4.40 and $3.40, while Tiz to Dream (Tiznow), who finished
two lengths back in third, returned $4.20. Alina (Came Home) was a nose behind
in fourth and was followed under the wire by Secret Gypsy, Minewander
(Mineshaft) and Color Me Up (Aptitude). American County (Gibson County) and
Informed Decision (Monarchos) were withdrawn.

Game Face skimmed the rail to win under the Twin Spires (Charles Pravata/Horsephotos.com)

The La Troienne was the second career stakes win for Game Face, who captured
the Old Hat S. (G2) at Gulfstream in her seasonal debut. In her race prior to
the La Troienne, Game Face finished two lengths second in the one-mile Davona
Dale S. (G2), also at Gulfstream.

“We kind of targeted this race right after the Davona Dale,” Pletcher said.
“We felt she didn’t come out of that race great and gave her some time. We’ll
probably go on to the (June 7) Acorn (S. [G1] at Belmont Park) next and take it
from there. She’s a very nice filly that we can try to stretch out later.”

Game Face now sports a record of 6-3-2-1 with earnings of $238,352.

Bred in Kentucky by Marilyn Seltzer, Game Face was produced from the unraced
Galleon of Gold (Gone West), who is a half-sister to the stakes-winning sire
Holzmeister (Woodman). The winner, who brought $280,000 at the 2007 OBS March
Two-Year-Olds in Training sale, has a two-year-old full sister named Grace
Almighty.