Scandalous Act ran away with the $75,000
Desert Vixen division of the Florida Stallion Stakes (FSS) to give
owner/breeder Gilbert G. Campbell, trainer Kathleen O’Connell and jockey Eduardo
Nunez a sweep of the two divisions of the FSS held on Saturday at Calder.
Earlier on the card, My Brown Eyed Guy was successful in the $75,000
Dr.
Fager division for those same connections to get the stakes action underway
at the Miami Gardens, Florida, track.
Scandalous Act easily took control of the Desert Vixen from the start,
setting swift splits of :22 1/5, :46 3/5 and :59 1/5 before finishing up six
furlongs on the fast main track in 1:11 4/5. The Act of Duty juvenile miss was
the 3-1 third choice in the seven-filly field and rewarded her backers with
payouts of $8, $4.20 and $3.40.
It was 7 1/2 lengths back to runner-up Holiday Magic, who got the best of
Quinnkat by three parts of a length as the even-money favorite. Fantastic
Voyage, the 52-1 longshot, nosed out In Luv With Willie to complete the top
four, while Golden Friendships and Proverbs Thirtyone rounded out the order
under the wire.
Scandalous Act romped in her career debut on May 18, scoring by 6 1/2 lengths
that day, but threw in a puzzling well-beaten seventh when trying stakes company
for the first time in the J J’sdream last out in late June. Returning to form in
this spot, the dark bay filly more than tripled her lifetime earnings to $71,670
and now boasts a 3-2-0-0 scorecard.
Scandalous Act is out of the winning Langfuhr mare Scandalous Lady and counts
as a half-brother Two T’s at Two B, who captured last year’s Dr. Fager while
placing in the other two legs of the FSS series, the In Reality and Affirmed
divisions. Her female family also sports Grade/Group 2 winners Copano and Hasty
Flirt as well as 1966 Louisiana Derby victor and Kentucky Derby third-placer
Blue Skyer.
My Brown Eyed Guy recorded a 3 1/4-length win in the $75,000 Dr. Fager
division two races earlier, stopping the clock in 1:12 4/5 for the six-furlong
affair.
The dark bay gelding dueled for pacesetting duties on the inside of Copa Del
Rey, posting fractions of :22, :46 1/5 and :59 1/5 while holding a narrow head
margin over that rival. Taking firmer command in the stretch, the juvenile began
pulling away to live up to his even-money favoritism in his stakes debut and
return $4.20, $2.80 and $2.10.
Best Plan Yet rallied to take second by 1 1/2 lengths over Copa Del Rey, with
Arangol, Steve and Kid Pichongo completing the order under the wire. Party in
the Sky stumbled at the start and was outrun before being eased in the final
eighth. After pausing for a second when the gates opened, Hearty Congrats took
an abrupt left turn and unseated jockey Sebastian Madrid. Moonwalker and
Trapnall Hall were both withdrawn.
My Brown Eyed Guy broke his maiden in his second try just two weeks ago. The
son of With Distinction improved his career mark to 2-1-0 from three starts, and
boosted his earnings to $78,005 with Saturday’s score.
My Brown Eyed Guy is out of the dual stakes-placed De Niro mare Brown Eyed
Woman, making him a half-brother to multiple stakes victress Blue Eyed Sweetie
and the stakes-placed duo of Domenick’s Dune and Brown Eyed Sue. This is the
same female family as multiple Grade 1 queen Take d’ Tour and Group 1 heroine
Quintessential.
Sandwiched between the two FSS contests was the $75,000
Nancy’s Glitter Handicap, which saw Angelica Zapata run down My Pal Chrisy
for a three-quarter length score.
Jockey Juan Leyva settled Angelica Zapata into a ground-saving stalking
position down on the rail as Prize Informant, Courtney Ryan and Centrique traded
turns on the lead through splits of :23 3/5, :47 3/5 and 1:12 4/5. The bay
five-year-old patiently waited for room to run, and took off in the lane when
the field began separating itself. Angelica Zapata easily ran down My Pal Chrisy,
who had taken over in the stretch, and finished a mile in 1:39 1/5.
Sent off the 4-5 favorite, Angelica Zapata paid $3.80, $2.60 and $2.10. My
Pal Chrisy was best of the rest while three lengths clear of Centrique, who was
followed under the wire by Courtney Ryan, French Politics, Frolic’s Revenge and
Prize Informant.
Angelica Zapata was looking for her first win since taking last September’s
Stage Door Betty by 7 1/2 lengths in her four-year-old finale. That came one
race after she captured the 2012 edition of this contest by nine lengths as part
of a four-race win streak.
Unable to keep that streak going in 2013, the Sharp Humor mare ran fourth in
the U Can Do It Handicap and third by a neck in the Hollywood Wildcat just two
weeks ago in her prior two starts this season. Her mark now stands at 22-7-4-3,
$338,070.
Campaigned by Buck Pond Farm and breeder Herman Van den Broeck, Angelica
Zapata is out of the multiple stakes-placed Evansville Slew mare Two Dot Slew.
Her third dam is Denmark champion and Grade 1 heroine Rossard, who is probably
better known for producing Group 3-placed and listed-winning top sire Unusual
Heat. Also of note in this female line is 1955 champion grass horse *St.
Vincent.
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