Blue Prize Repeats in Juddmonte Spinster

Grinning through the grit and the grime in his mud-splattered green and white Merriebelle Stable silks, jockey Joe Bravo had nothing but smiles and cheers to offer the Keeneland audience Oct. 6.

Aboard Blue Prize in the $490,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) for the second year in a row, the veteran jockey could not contain his happiness after scoring back-to-back wins in the 1 1/8-mile feature.

"Wow, Ignacio (Correas IV)!" Bravo exclaimed as the trainer led the mare to the winner's circle. "You knew you had her ready to run!" 

The 6-year-old Pure Prize mare was fourth early in Sunday's race, settling just off the pace in the five-horse field as a keen She's a Julie drove to the lead from the break. Vexatious stalked the frontrunner in second through fractions of :24.25 and :48.63 for the half-mile before shifting out into the three path to bid for the lead on the far turn. 

Tracking the pace in third three wide on the backside, favored Elate followed suit with Vexatious and shifted wide in the far turn before coming under a long drive from Jose Ortiz. Dunbar Road, the youngest contender in the field, skimmed the rail as the field entered the lane before digging in to draw on even terms with She's a Julie. 

In front by a head in midstretch, Blue Prize drifted out even wider into the six path before rallying down the center of the track to give chase. Under a drive from Bravo in the final sixteenths, the mare kicked home just ahead of the wire to beat Elate by a half-length in 1:50.30 on a fast track.  

"Ignacio had her very keen today," Bravo said. "He said, 'Try to keep her quiet. She's ready to go.' After she broke in front, she got back underneath me. There were some really good horses in there, but she was able to (have) a stalking trip and watch them (in front). We've always said she runs great at a target. She listens to me. I really didn't have to do too much. It's fun to be part of a good horse."

Elate finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Dunbar Road in third. It was another 4 3/4 lengths back to She's a Julie in fourth, followed by Vexatious to complete the order of finish. 

Sent off at odds of 7-1, Blue Prize returned $17.20, $4.40, and $2.40. 

"These mares are very nice," Ortiz said of his runner-up effort on Elate. "I mean, the winner won the Spinster last year. I've ridden her before. If they run fast, she runs fast. If they run slow, she runs a little slower. But she always finds a way to get to the wire first. About this race, I think I was in a good position the whole way. (Elate) was very comfortable, and we were in a good rhythm. She just got beat."

"She didn't show much speed out of the gate, and (She's a Julie) they sent to the lead and Elate was to my outside," said Javier Castellano, who rode last-out Alabama Stakes (G1) winner Dunbar Road. "I just kept tracking and saving a little ground and tried to go through. She went through a little bit, but I don't think that was the best place to be today. It seemed to me the rail was a little dead."

Blue Prize is only the fourth horse in the Spinster's 64-year history to win consecutive runnings. The first was Bornastar (1957-58), followed by Bayakoa (1989-90), and Take Charge Lady (2002-03). Susan's Girl won non-consecutive runnings in 1973 and 1975. 

"She means a lot to me," Correas said. "The horses of my country (he is also a native of Argentina) have made me look good. Thanks to the trainers that trained them before me—they did a great job developing them. To tell you that I thought I was going to beat Elate, I would be lying. I thought (Blue Prize) was sitting on a great race. She was coming into form. When we went to Saratoga, we were looking to put her in winning mode. We accomplished that (with a victory in the Aug. 18 Summer Colony Stakes). I thought if Joe could relax her and if she had a target, she's going to run big. Elate is a great, great mare."

The Spinster is a "Win and You're In" challenge race awarding a fees-paid berth into the Nov. 2 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).  Correas' charge was fourth in last year's World Championships event. Should she ship to California for this year's renewal, Blue Prize will likely face her toughest competition yet in the form of Midnight Bisou, who is undefeated in seven starts this season. 

“Midnight Bisou is a super filly," Correas said. "Elate is a super filly. There are others. If she gets the trip, I think she has a shot.”

Bred in Argentina by Bioart S. A., Blue Prize is out of the Not For Sale mare Blues for Sale and is a half brother to group 3-placed Baron Blue. Blue Prize made her first four starts in Argentina for Bullines S.A. and trainer Jorge Mayansky Neer and picked up her first group 1 win at 3 in the Seleccion (G1) at Hippodromo Argentino de Palermo. She was transferred to Correas' barn in the United States 10 months after her Seleccion win. 

Blue Prize improved her record to 9-8-3 from 22 starts, with earnings of $1,592,253. 

Video: Juddmonte Spinster S. (G1)