Social Paranoia Scores in Dueling Grounds Derby
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Photo: Coady Photography
Social Paranoia wins the Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs
The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia was less than a length away from being a stakes winner—and a grade 1 winner at that—when he was entered in the $600,000 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby Sept. 8 at Kentucky Downs.
After competing in the first two legs of the New York Racing Association's Turf Trinity series, trainer Todd Pletcher detoured the Street Boss colt through Kentucky, and the 3-year-old will be returning home with a black-type score to his name.
"He's always trained like a nice horse, always run well on both surfaces," Pletcher said. "He's obviously been really holding up with top competition. We felt like he'd handle the course, hoped to get an inside draw and a good trip and it worked out."
Social Paranoia missed Henley's Joy by three-quarters of a length, finishing second in the July 6 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T), then was out of the money for the first time with a fourth in the Aug. 4 Saratoga Derby. He was bet down to the 1-2 favorite in Sunday's race.
The dark bay settled in third under jockey Jose Ortiz in the 1 5/16-mile test for sophomores. Temple showed the way through a :49.87 half-mile over Ry's the Guy and Social Paranoia. The three remained locked in battle ahead of their seven rivals, with Bundibunan throwing his hat in the ring from seventh and moving Social Paranoia back to fourth with five-sixteenths left to go.
But the favorite fought back and got up this time, scoring by half a length. He hit the wire in 2:08.50 on firm turf.
"He got up the hill beautiful, down the hill beautiful, and then I had to work my way out from the three-eighths pole to the quarter pole, follow the two leaders," Ortiz said. "Finally, I knew when Chris (Landeros on Ry's the Guy) would make his horse to switch leads, I would have an opening."
Ry's the Guy finished second ahead of Temple and Bundibunan.
The Dueling Grounds Derby improved Social Paranoia's record to 2-4-4 in 11 starts with $780,100 in earnings. That's more than 10 times what the colt cost at The July Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in Kentucky, when Elkstone purchased him for $75,000 from Brookdale Sales' consignment.
Social Paranoia was bred in Kentucky by Mineola Farm and Silent Grove Farm out of the Deputy Minister mare Shutterbug. His full yearling brother was entered in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale as Hip 82 with Brookdale, agent for Mineola, but has been scratched. Shutterbug foaled another Street Boss colt May 4 before being bred to Bernardini .
Princesa Carolina wins the Dueling Grounds Oaks
Well-Bred Princesa Carolina Gets Up in Dueling Grounds Oaks
After finishing in the money four times in stakes company, Three Chimneys Farm's homebred Princesa Carolina was knocking on the door for black-type success. The 3-year-old Tapit filly pulled through Sunday in the $348,250 Fifth Third Insurance Dueling Grounds Oaks.
"We felt like this distance would do her good, too, the extra ground," said winning trainer Kenny McPeek. "She's got a big, long hip on her, she'll run all day. We've kind of been waiting for this race to some extent all summer and into the fall here. But a great run."
With Ortiz aboard, the jockey swept the stakes action on Sunday's card.
Princesa Carolina was off as the 4-5 favorite in the nine-horse field and settled in eighth under Ortiz. Indigo Gin, who held off Princesa Carolina by a head in the July 13 Hatoof Stakes at Arlington International Racecourse, led through an opening half-mile in :49.64.
Princesa Carolina displayed a strong kick in the Kentucky Downs stretch and rolled past the competition, drawing clear by 1 1/2 lengths to complete 1 5/16 miles in 2:08.85 on firm going.
"She has a beautiful stride, very big. She was very relaxed," Ortiz said. "When I let her run, she just starting stretching, stretching. She picked it up little by little, little by little. When we hit the eighth pole going to the sixteenth, I hit her left handed and she really gave me a nice run."
Wildlife followed Princesa Carolina from ninth to capture second and High Regard was third. Indigo Gin held for fourth.
With the Dueling Grounds Oaks victory, Princesa Carolina has earned $403,619 from a 3-3-1 record in 11 starts.
McPeek is considering the Oct. 12 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane's End (G1T) at Keeneland for her next start.
The Kentucky-bred filly is out of Pure Clan, a Pure Prize mare who won the American Oaks Invitational (G1T) and Flower Bowl Invitational (G1T) on her way to earnings almost $2 million. Pure Clan foaled a Gun Runner filly Feb. 7 and was bred back to the Three Chimneys stallion.
Video: Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby (BT)