Music Note dances to Ballerina victory

Music Note hit the ‘money note’ in the Ballerina (EquiSport Photos) Earlier on Saratoga’s Travers Day card, Godolphin Racing and trainer Saeed bin Suroor sent out Sara Louise (Malibu Moon) to take the Victory Ride S. (G3) in her first start of the year. Three races later, those same connections sent out MUSIC NOTE (A.P. Indy) in only her second try of the season in the $294,000 Ballerina S. (G1) and the bay miss vindicated that decision with a 5 1/4-length score under jockey Rajiv Maragh. Dual champion Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie) was bumped at the start, but still moved up to take the early lead, getting a quarter-mile in :23. Music Note ranged up along the rail to challenge for front-running duties, sticking her head in front through a half in :45 3/5, and merely extended her advantage from there. She battled Indian Blessing into submission through three-quarters in 1:09 3/5, and began drawing off to stop the clock for seven furlongs on the sloppy dirt in 1:22. “Music Note ran a big race and we are happy with her,” bin Suroor said. “She’s really healthy and back in exactly the same form she was last year. She’s a tough filly and she always tries hard. I talked to the jockey and told him to just sit in behind the lead. He gave her a brilliant ride and she handled the mud really well today. Maybe we’ll find a (one-turn) race for her in New York (at Belmont Park). We’ll see how she comes back, but so far we’re happy.” The Ballerina was Music Note’s first race at less than a mile since she made her career debut in a 6 1/2-furlong Belmont maiden in 2007. Sent off the 5-1 third pick in this five-horse field, the four-year-old paid $13.60, $5.10 and $2.80. Indian Blessing was a game runner-up while making her second start since returning from a second-place effort in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) in late March. The 6-5 favorite was worth $3.20 and $2.10 while ending the $35.40 exacta.

“It was a good trip,” said Velazquez, who was aboard Indian Blessing. “She
broke sharp like she always does. I tried to give her a good chance the first
part of the race. It wasn’t my plan to get out in front. I planned for second or
third and she just happened to do that and the other two horses didn’t go so I
just happened to be there and she got tired. The other horse (Music Note) just
ran better than her today. I think she’s just coming back and she’s getting
better now.”

Informed Decision (Monarchos) raced in third for much of the Ballerina and
filled that spot on the line, one length behind Indian Blessing, to return $2.10
as the 6-5 second choice. The 1-4-2 trifecta totaled $54.

P. S. U. Grad (Harlan’s Holiday) and Tar Heel Mom (Flatter) completed the
order under the wire after Modification (Vindication) was withdrawn.

Music Note began her career as a Darley runner, finishing fourth in her debut
prior to breaking her maiden at Aqueduct by 7 1/4 lengths for
trainer Tom Albertrani. She was subsequently moved up to Godolphin’s operation
and sent to bin Suroor’s barn. Making her 2008 debut in the royal blue silks,
Music Note continued to improve, recording a seven-length allowance victory at
Belmont, which was followed by a 3 1/2-length score in the Mother Goose S. (G1)
and an 11-length romp in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). The talented lass
then suffered a tough defeat when second by a head to champion Proud Spell in the Alabama S. (G1), but she quickly
rebounded with a dominating 8 1/2-length win in the Gazelle S. (G1).

Music Note concluded her sophomore season with a game third in the Breeders’
Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1), and didn’t reappear from that October 24 contest until
making her 2009 bow in the Ogden Phipps H. (G1) on June 13. She could do no
better than fifth in that event, but returned to the top of her game with this
win, which pushed her earnings past the million mark. Music Note’s record now
stands at 10-6-1-1 with $1,057,000 in lifetime earnings.

Bred in Kentucky by Gainsborough Farm, Music Note is out of the unraced Note
Musicale (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), making her a half-sister to 2003 French One
Thousand Guineas (Fr-G1) and 2004 John C. Mabee H. (G1) heroine Musical Chimes
(In Excess [Ire]). Note Musicale is herself a daughter of 1978 champion
two-year-old filly It’s in the Air (Mr. Prospector), who captured back-to-back
runnings of the Vanity H. (G1) as well as the Ruffian H. (G1), Alabama
and Delaware Oaks (G1) during her career.

It’s in the Air also produced Group 2 victress Bitooh (GB) (Seattle Slew);
Group 3-placed Sous Entendu (Shadeed), who is the dam of this year’s First
Flight H. (G2) winner Porte Bonheur (Hennessy) and Group 2 hero Slip Stream (Irish
River [Fr]); and Try to Catch Me (Shareef Dancer), herself the dam of multiple
Grade/Group 1 king Storming Home (GB) (Machiavellian).