Steve Stan Stables’ FRENCH PARK (Ecton Park) mowed down She Says It Best
(Stormy Atlantic) to capture the $222,200
Golden Rod S. (G2) at Churchill Downs
on Saturday. The strongly-made gray filly, still unbeaten in three career starts
for trainer Helen Pitts, stopped the clock in 1:47 1/5 for 1 1/16 miles on a
fast track. This score more than doubled the juvenile’s bankroll, which now
stands at $243,761.
French Park was reserved well off the early pace by rider Mark Guidry after
she engaged in bumping matches with Magnificent Song (Unbridled’s Song) and
Dance Daily (Five Star Day). Up front, Beau Dare (Military) led the way through
an opening quarter in :23 3/5 but couldn’t hold the advantage. She Says It Best, not content to allow Beau Dare
to dictate terms, wrested the lead approaching the half in :47 1/5 and spurted
to a clear advantage, getting six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 and a mile in 1:39 4/5.
As Beau Dare began to fade from the scene, French Park and Lady Danza
(Cryptoclearance) launched closing bids that separated them from the remainder
of the pack. She Says It Best still looked firmly in control until inside the
final sixteenth, when French Park whittled steadily into her margin, eventually
wearing down the longtime leader to prevail by three-quarters-of-a-length.
Sent off the favorite at odds of slightly more than 3-2, French Park returned
$5.40, $3 and $2.80 to her investors. She Says It Best paid $4.20 and $3.20 as
the nearly 4-1 third choice, completing a $22.40 exacta. Lady Danza, 2 1/2
lengths back in third at nearly 16-1, gave $6.20 and rounded out a $162.20
trifecta. Giant Commander (Deputy Commander), the longest shot on the board at
more than 28-1, closed belatedly to grab fourth, making the 3-8-5-6 superfecta
worth $723.50.
Beau Dare wound up fifth, followed by Magnificent Song, Tiztimetokinect (Tiznow)
and Dance Daily. Sabatini (Five Star Day), who was to have been the final stakes
mount for retiring jockey Gary Stevens, was scratched.
Bred by Marvin Delfiner in Kentucky, French Park was sold to her present
owners for $75,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale. She is the
first stakes winner for her dam, the winning Darn That Alarm mare Alarming
Prospect, who placed in the 1997 Honey Bee Breeders’ Cup H. (G3) at the
Meadowlands. Alarming Prospect has a yearling colt by El Corredor and a weanling
filly by Aptitude.