Significant Form Emerges First in Ballston Spa
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Significant Form (No. 4) takes the Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
The most successful trainer and jockey of the $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) teamed up Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course to add to their records in the turf event, with John Velazquez piloting Chad Brown's runner Significant Form to a neck victory in a blanket finish.
Velazquez and Brown both scored their fifth Ballston Spa victories, with Brown winning for the third year in a row.
"She's very good. It was special to be on her," said Velazquez. "They told me she was a nice horse, and they were right about it. The way she ran down the lane, she responded right away and showed great fight."
The Hall of Fame rider settled the 4-year-old daughter of Creative Cause in third on the rail while Conquest Hardcandy led by a length through fractions of :24.22, :48.47, and 1:12.68. The pacesetter was still in front as the field turned into the stretch, holding a 1 1/2-length advantage through a mile in 1:35.61, but the field came together and five fillies and mares spread across the stretch to approach the wire together.
Significant Form came out on top at 7-1, with Indian Blessing rallying from fifth for second. Another neck back in third was Starship Jubilee, who nosed out Fifty Five. Conquest Hardcandy stayed on for fifth, followed by Hogans Holiday, Scottish Jig, Secret Message, and favored Mascha.
The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:41.39 on firm turf.
Significant Form is campaigned by Stephanie Seymour Brant, whose filly bested husband Peter Brant's Fifty Five by half a length Saturday.
The Ballston Spa victory was the third graded stakes victory for Significant Form, who won the Miss Grillo Stakes (G3T) at 2 and the Intercontinental Stakes (G3T) in her season opener June 6. Both efforts came on the Belmont Park turf. The gray/roan filly has a record of 4-1-0 from 11 starts and $694,865 in earnings.
"She just needed some time off during the winter just to put some weight on," Brown said of Significant Form. "No physical problems, really. After her seven-eighths race at Belmont (the Intercontinental), I screwed up running her too short, 5 1/2 furlongs (when she was fifth in the July 21 Caress Stakes at Saratoga). It was poor judgment, but Peter and Stephanie really wanted to take a look at this race with both of their horses (in) Fifty Five and Significant Form."
Peter Brant's White Birch Farm was the name on the ticket when Significant Form sold for $575,000 from Eddie Woods' consignment to the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. That juvenile price was a big increase from when Bradley Thoroughbreds went to $75,000 to secure her from breeder Brereton Jones at The July Sale in 2016.
Kentucky-bred Significant Form is the second of five foals out of the unraced Harlan's Holiday mare Church by the Sea, who also produced grade 3 turf winner Hay Dakota. Church by the Sea last foaled a Curlin filly Feb. 11.