Martin S. Schwartz’s ANGARA (GB) (Alzao) was sent off the 4-5 favorite in
Wednesday’s $109,300
Bewitch S. (G3) at Keeneland and justified the faith
of her backers with a 1 3/4-length win under Gary Stevens. Trained
by Patrick Biancone, the bay miss recovered from a bumpy start and ran just
behind slow splits of :26 2/5, :55, 1:21 4/5, 1:48 1/5 and
2:12 4/5. She had to check briefly off the heels of Stormin’ Daina
(Storm Creek) leaving the far turn, but rallied between horses in the stretch to
get the victory, finishing 1 1/2 miles on the good turf in 2:36 1/5.
Angara paid out $3.80, $2.40 and $2.20 while keying the $9.40 exacta, $66.40
trifecta and $330 superfecta (4-7-6-8). Cape Town Lass (Horse Chestnut [SAf]),
the 2-1 second choice, was worth $2.80 and $2.40 while Strike Me Lucky (Smart
Strike) gave back $3.20 for coming in three lengths farther back in third.
Stormin’ Daina followed by another 7 1/4 lengths then came Literacy (Diesis
[GB]), My Dear Lady (Arg) (Mutakddim) and Ballistic Babe (Bates Motel). Noble
Stella (Ger) (Monsun) was withdrawn.
Angara now owns an 8-4-1-1 mark with $144,845 in lifetime earnings.
This was her first stakes victory and her second straight score since shipping to
the United States. Bred in Great Britain by Dayton Investments Ltd., the
four-year-old filly is out of Ange Bleu (Alleged), making her a full sister to
listed victress Arlesienne and a half-sibling to Group 2 heroine Actrice
(Danehill). Ange Bleu has an unraced sophomore filly named Altarejos (Vettori).