by Vance Hanson
Phillips Racing Partnership’s Kentucky homebred Winter Memories mocked her
three-year-old filly rivals with a breathtaking stretch run in Wednesday’s
$150,000 Lake George S. (Grade 2) at Saratoga. Trailing the field of six turning
for home, the flashy gray was swung four-wide by jockey Jose Lezcano and inhaled
her opponents in a matter of strides. Once past the leading Bellamy Star, Winter
Memories was geared down for the final yards and passed the wire 4 1/2 lengths
in front. She returned $3.10, $2.30 and $2.10 as the 1-2 favorite after
completing 1 1/16 miles on the good inner turf in 1:41 2/5.
Settled at the rear of the field for the opening six furlongs, Winter
Memories bided her time as Sunlight Sonata led anywhere from a length to two
lengths through splits of :23, :47 2/5 and 1:11 4/5. Bellamy Star, who tracked
in second from the start, was sent to the lead at the top of the stretch and
opened up 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong to go. However, she was never going to
contain Winter Memories when that one got in gear. Pinned down along the hedge
at the quarter pole, Lezcano had to momentarily steady Winter Memories before
switching her out to commence her bold, winning move.
“Jose said (Calmafterthestorm) was coming out and he almost clipped heels, he
had to steady her to get her outside,” Toner said. “When she gets near horses or
horses get near her and try to pin her in, that’s when she gets on the muscle
and she tries to take off. When she takes off, you gotta watch out, she’ll just
run over them.”
“It was surprising — she was off the bit and so relaxed down the backside, I
didn’t know what to make of it, truthfully. I said ‘Oh, my god, she doesn’t seem
like she’s on it today.’ But, he dropped her head and there was nobody around
and she just relaxed and was galloping along. When he picked her up and asked
her to run, she just accelerated and took off. Usually she’s tugging at him a
little bit more and today she didn’t seem like she was tugging at him at all,
she was just totally relaxed.”
Bellamy Road, at 9-2, finished a length clear of stablemate More Than Real,
the 3-1 second choice. The latter was a 1 1/2 lengths clear of Sunlight Sonata,
who was followed by Calmafterthestorm and Little Miss Holly. Marion Ravenwood
was entered for the main track only and was scratched.
Winter Memories has been favored in all six career starts. The gray signaled
her talent in a smart debut victory at Saratoga last September, and confirmed
that impression still further with a 5 1/4-length tour de force in the October 3
Miss Grillo S. (Grade 3). Winter Memories was expected to complete the hat trick
in the November 5 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade 2), but a troubled
trip in traffic proved too much to overcome, and she settled for runner-up
honors. She made a winning reappearance in the April 21 Appalachian S. (Grade 3)
at Keeneland by a neck, then took the May 30 Sands Point S. (Grade 2) at Belmont
by three lengths. She’s now bankrolled $540,600.
Her dam, Memories of Silver, captured eight stakes during her three seasons
of racing, including the 1996 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (Grade 1), in a
Keeneland course-record 1:45 4/5 for 1 1/8 grassy miles, and the 1997 Beverly D.
S. (Grade 1). The bay mare won a division of the 1996 Lake George and placed in
the Matriarch S. (Grade 1), Yellow Ribbon S. (Grade 1) and Flower Bowl
Invitational H. (Grade 1) during her career and bankrolled more than $1.4
million. Memories of Silver’s first two foals were stakes winners, British Blue
and War Trace, but she didn’t have a graded-class runner until La Cloche
finished second in the Pucker Up S. (Grade 3) last fall.
Memories of Silver’s latest progeny are a yearling colt by Bluegrass Cat and
a 2011 colt by Tiznow. She is a half-sister to Memories, who captured the first
division of the 1988 Miss Grillo S. (Grade 2); Grade 3-placed stakes winner
Memories of Gold; and Irish stakes-placed Childhood Memories. Memories herself
is the dam of Group 3 victor Russian Revival while Childhood Memories is the
granddam of multiple Grade 2 winner Liberian Freighter, who garnered the Arcadia
S. (Grade 2) and Inglewood H. (Grade 3) in April.
Winter Memories’ third dam is Grade 3 queen Java Moon, and she comes from the
same line as turf champions Ryafan and Sunshine Forever; multiple Grade 1 winner
and classic-placed Brian’s Time; and Grade/Group 2 heroes Tillerman and Freedom
Crest. Also in this family is Grade 1 victress Andover Way, best known as the
dam of top sire Dynaformer (Roberto).
Winter Memories will likely contest the August 21 Lake Placid S. (Grade 2) at
Saratoga before a tilt in the October 15 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at
Keeneland.