Irish Mission Keeps Racing, Wins The Very One
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Kept in training, Robert Evans' Irish Mission returned immediate dividends, taking the $150,000 The Very One Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 21 .
The 6-year-old mare was scheduled to be retired at the end of 2014, but stayed active after winning the $100,000 La Prevoyante Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Dec. 27, and claimed the 1 3/8-mile race on a firm turf course in 2:18.66.
"I'm delighted to win for Mr. Evans," winning trainer Christophe Clement said. "He's a great owner to win for. Plus, I think she's a wonderful mare and a very exciting broodmare prospect for him. There are two choices. One, she goes to Kentucky next week--where it's very cold and awful weather--or she can stay in the sunshine here and run back in the Orchid (gr. IIIT) March 28."
Stalking the slow pace of slight 9-5 favorite Riposte from the start, Irish Mission kicked away from the pace setter through the stretch to post a 1 1/-2-length score as the 9-5 second choice under jockey John Velazquez.
Riposte quickly got to the front after the start, under jockey Joel Rosario, and set plodding fractions of :26.97 for the first quarter, :53.60 for the half-mile, and 1:43.99 for the mile, with Irish Mission tracking in second just to her outside a length behind.
As they turned for home, the two raced on even terms for several strides before Irish Mission grabbed the lead at the top of the stretch and began to edge away.
"It was a pretty slow pace," Velazquez said. "There was no speed in the race. I knew it was going to be me or (Rosario) and he ended up going to the lead, so I sat quietly. Once we got to the three-quarter pole, I knew it was going to be a two-horse race, so I put a little bit of pressure on him and we picked it up. She did it pretty easy, though."
The Very One marked the third career graded victory in the career of the 6-year-old mare, who won the $150,000 Glens Fall Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 31, along with the La Prevoyante.
"I wasn't really (expecting it to be that slow of a pace), but I leave it completely up to (Velazquez)," said Clement, who won his seventh Very One Saturday. "He's a top-class rider and takes the pressure away."
Irish Mission returned $5.80 to win, $3 to place and $2.80 to show. Riposte paid $3.20 and $2.80, while Tabreed, 1 3/4 lengths back, returned $4.80.
Caroline Thomas got up to finish fourth and was followed by Bitty Kitty, Kitten's Point, Always Kitten, and Meri Shika.
Irish Mission is an Ontario-bred mare bred by Sam-Son Farm and is by Giant's Causeway out of Miswaki dam Misty Mission.