Lady Prancealot Surges Inside to Take American Oaks
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Lady Prancealot wins her first grade 1 in the American Oaks at Santa Anita Park
Lady Prancealot's class put her in position in the $301,053 American Oaks (G1T) Dec. 28 at Santa Anita Park, and her turn of foot propelled her to victory.
Without an obvious path when advancing in traffic coming into the stretch, jockey Joe Bravo sent the 3-year-old Sir Prancealot filly diving toward the inside for clear sailing and his mount did the rest, outkicking Mucho Unusual by a half-length in a stirring stretch run.
One of just three graded stakes winners in the eight-horse lineup, Lady Prancealot was rated in sixth early, as So Much Happy sped to the lead in the 1 1/4-mile turf race with fractions of :48.67 and 1:13.80, and 1:37.96. Vibrance assumed command between calls from So Much Happy, but her lead was short-lived.
Mucho Unusual, who had stalked the pace in fourth, wrested command with an eighth of a mile remaining after being tipped out by jockey Joel Rosario, but Lady Prancealot's inside rally proved too much. The latter collared her inside the final sixteenth and inched past in the final 50 yards.
Winning jockey Joe Bravo said he was following Rosario on Mucho Unusual exiting the final turn.
"I was planning on going outside of him but when he came out, it kind of made my decision easier, and we pulled through," he said.
Following Mucho Unusual, there was a margin of 1 1/2 lengths back to longshot Pretty Point in third.
Lady Prancealot was sent off as the 8-5 favorite and finished on a good turf course in 2:01.70, paying $5.20 for a $2 wager.
Winner of the Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in her prior start Oct. 18, Lady Prancealot scored her first grade 1 victory in the American Oaks, having previously finished 14th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) in the fall of 2018 at Churchill Downs and third in the Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club (G1T) this past summer at Del Mar.
Imported to the U.S. from Britain in the summer of 2018, she showed significant improvement this year at 3, and now has career earnings of $539,852. She is owned by Craig and Josie Arntz, Donald Durando, Jerry McClanahan, and Jules and Michael Iavarone.
Lady Prancealot gave trainer Richard Baltas his second victory in the American Oaks following Spanish Queen's triumph in 2015. He credited his crew at San Luis Rey Downs, where she trains, for having her so well prepared.
"This filly came over here from Europe and the first time she worked she had an issue and we gave her a bunch of time," Baltas said."We thought we bought a bad horse but we didn't. She has been ultra-consistent."
Out of the Haatef mare Naqrah, Lady Prancealot was bred by Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland.
Video: American Oaks (G1T)
Brill Switches Surfaces With Ease
Earlier in the day at Santa Anita, comebacking Brill made her first start on grass a winning one in the $75,000 Lady of Shamrock Stakes, leading throughout and scoring by 1 3/4 lengths under Mike Smith, who replaced Flavien Prat, who took off all of his mounts due to illness. Trained by Don Chatlos, the 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro raced a mile on turf in 1:35.75, paying $9 for a $2 win wager.
"We felt she'd be on the lead," said Chatlos. "She's just a quick horse. She had been chasing some very fast fillies earlier this year at Oaklawn Park and it didn't look like there was anything in here today of that caliber.
"We put her on the grass because being by Medaglia d'Oro, we thought she'd like it and we think the grass will be better for her in the long run."
Brill wins the Lady of Shamrock Stakes
Out of the Malibu Moon mare Hung the Moon, Brill picked up her first stakes win in her eighth career start for owner OXO Equine and with the winner's share of $48,840 she increased her earnings to $231,040.
Favored Keeper Ofthe Stars proved second best, finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of third-place Lucky Peridot.
Video: Lady of Shamrock S. (BT)
Devil Made Me Doit Catches the Eye
Also Saturday at Santa Anita, 2-year-old Devil Made Me Doit proved an eye-catching maiden winner of his debut, taking the day's opening race by 9 1/2 lengths. Bet down to 3-2 favoritism after a series of quick drills, he established the early lead and increased his advantage at every call, completing six furlongs in 1:10.29.
Ciaran Dunne and Reddam Racing own the promising son of Daredevil out of the U S Ranger mare Bible. Doug O'Neill trains.