Sales-Bound Elysea's World, Pantsonfire Pursue Dowager
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Elysea's World wins the Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita Park
A couple of weeks before they are sold as racing/broodmare prospects in the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Elysea's World and Pantsonfire will take on the $125,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes (G3T) going 1 1/2 miles on grass Oct. 20 at Keeneland.
Two of three U.S. graded stakes winners in the expected 13-horse lineup—the other being likely favorite Gentle Ruler—Elysea's World and Pantsonfire can bolster their credentials and pick up a catalog update if they perform well in the Dowager. And their current form suggests they should.
Elysea's World, a three-time grade 3 winner in 2018, won the March 30 Santa Ana Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park and has since run competitively in even more challenging competition. Most recently, she finished third in the 1 1/4-mile Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) Sept. 28 at Santa Anita—her first grade 1 placing—behind Mirth and Beau Recall, runners being considered for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).
Video: Rodeo Drive S. (G1T)
Purchased for $500,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale by Abbondanza Racing from the ELiTE consignment, Elysea's World has a 1-0-1 record from six starts this year under the direction of Richard Baltas, who took over her training from Chad Brown after her acquisition last fall. A 6-year-old daughter of Champs Elysees, she races for Abbondanza Racing, Heider Family Stables, Madaket Stables, Christopher Dunn, and Jerry McClanahan.
"She has run some good races against some pretty tough mares," said assistant trainer Aimee Dollase. "She probably wants more ground, and races in California are pretty limited."
Elysea's World is Hip 231, selling on the first day of the Keeneland sale, again as part of the ELiTE consignment.
Stablemate Pantsonfire, a 5-year-old by Sir Percy, is proven at the 1 1/2-mile distance of the Dowager after winning the Jan. 20 Astra Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita. Since then, she has raced just twice, finishing third in both the June 16 Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita and the CTT and Aug. 16 TOC Stakes at Del Mar for owners Next Wave Racing, Pat Maciariello, Jeremy Peskoff, and Mark Silverstein.
A stayer, Pantsonfire is another Day 1 mare in the Keeneland sale, consigned as Hip 47 by Select Sales.
Javier Castellano will ride Elysea's World, and Brian Hernandez Jr. will have the mount on Pantsonfire.
Baltas also trains Lemoona, fifth last out in the Sept. 12 Ramsey Farm Stakes at Kentucky Downs. In that race, she closed to finish two lengths behind victorious Ian Wilkes-trained Gentle Ruler, who surged to the front in midstretch after exiting traffic.
Video: Ramsey Farm S. (BT)
This has been a breakout year for Morsches Stable's Gentle Ruler. After losing her first 11 starts, she has gone 5-for-6 this year, including victories in the Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3) and Keertana Overnight Stakes.
"She always tried hard, and she was always in the money, except maybe two or three times," Franz Morsches of Morsches Stable said after the Ramsey Farm. "It just took her a while to figure out how to win. And once she figured out how to win, look out. She likes to win now. She's got a very bright future for us."
The Dowager, the eighth race on a nine-race card Sunday with a 4:57 p.m. ET post time, also includes a pair of group 1 winners from Brazil: Grande Premio Diana Stakes winner Sea Dream and Grande Premio Margarida Polak Lara-Taca de Prata Stakes winner Touriga.
Keeneland, Sunday, October 20, 2019, Race 8Entries: Rood and Riddle Dowager S. (G3T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Ambitious Moon (ON)
Steven Ronald Bahen
121
Rachel Halden
15/1
2
2Lemoona (KY)
Joe Bravo
121
Richard Baltas
5/1
3
3Gentle Ruler (KY)
Chris Landeros
123
Ian R. Wilkes
3/1
4
4Over Thinking (KY)
Corey J. Lanerie
121
Victoria H. Oliver
10/1
5
5Icy Calm (KY)
Cory Orm
118
Joseph Jennings
50/1
6
6Beach Flower (KY)
Gabriel Saez
121
McLean Robertson
10/1
7
7Sea Dream (BRZ)
Julien R. Leparoux
121
Paulo H. Lobo
15/1
8
8Touriga (BRZ)
Trevor McCarthy
121
H. Graham Motion
10/1
9
9Pantsonfire (IRE)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
123
Richard Baltas
6/1
10
10Elysea's World (IRE)
Javier Castellano
123
Richard Baltas
4/1
11
11Decorating (KY)
Feargal Lynch
121
Thomas F. Proctor
30/1
12
12Get Explicit (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
121
Barbara J. Minshall
12/1
13
13Vevina (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
121
Philip D'Amato
20/1
