Oleksandra Takes Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Oleksandra wins the Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland
On the day it was announced that classic winner and champion Animal Kingdom had been sold to interests in Japan, his daughter Oleksandra kept the stallion in the headlines for another reason by winning the $150,000 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes (G3T) Oct. 11 at Keeneland.
Typical of her style and that of her sire, who closed from off the pace to win the 2011 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), Oleksandra was far behind early. She settled in ninth under Joel Rosario, 7 1/2 lengths behind speedster Girls Know Best, who sprang away from the starting gate to lead with fractions of :21.73 and :44.17 for a half-mile in the 5 1/2-furlong race on the firm turf.
Far back she remained late on the backstretch and through the turn before beginning to pick off opponents in the lane, advancing to third along the inside in midstretch. She then split frontrunning Girls Know Best and eventual runner-up Morticia with a sixteenth of a mile remaining and surged clear by two lengths at the finish.
"She came with a big run," Rosario said. "She had a tremendous turn of foot. It seemed like I had room to go through. She was just rolling at the end."
A 5-year-old out of the Caesour mare Alexandra Rose, Oleksandra was timed in 1:01.79 and paid $7 as the slight favorite in the field of 10. It was her fifth victory of the year from eight starts. She also won the Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 17 for trainer Neil Drysdale.
The victory also provided a milestone for her owners, Team Valor International. It was the partnership's 100th individual graded stakes winner, according to Keeneland. Team Valor also campaigned Animal Kingdom.
When Barry Irwin, founder and CEO of Team Valor, was asked whether Oleksandra's performance could potentially earn her a spot in the five-furlong Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) Nov. 2, he replied: "If I look at it from an intellectual point of view, the answer would be no. When emotions get involved and a horse wins like this, anything is possible."
Not an original nominee to the Breeders' Cup, Oleksandra would need to be supplemented to gain entry.
Regardless, her future appears bright. She has proven effective in long grass sprints since being imported from Australia and adding the anti-bleeding medication Lasix. Friday's race was her first graded stakes victory after twice earning graded placings, with third-place finishes in the Spendthrift Farm Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs and Royal North Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine.
Morticia, who stalked the pace in third, inched past Girls Know Best by a neck for the place in the closing yards. In picking up second-place money of $30,000, she eclipsed $1 million in earnings. "I had a perfect trip, but the winner was just much the best today," jockey Tyler Gaffalione said.
Girls Know Best finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of fourth-place A Little Bit Me.