Girl Daddy Punches Breeders' Cup Ticket in Pocahontas

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Girl Daddy Punches Breeders' Cup Ticket in Pocahontas
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Photo: Coady Photography
Girl Daddy wins the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs

Dennis Albaugh of Albaugh Family Stables celebrated his 71st birthday in rewarding fashion Sept. 3 at Churchill Downs, watching as Girl Daddy outran favored Crazy Beautiful to win the $200,000 Pocahontas Stakes (G3).

Now the owner is looking to keep the party going for two more days, maybe two more months. In partnership with Spendthrift Farm, Albaugh Family Stables co-owns the Bob Baffert-trained Thousand Words, an entrant in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).


Down the road, the Breeders' Cup is also on Albaugh's itinerary. By winning the one-mile Pocahontas, a Breeders' Cup Challenge race, his Uncle Mo  filly earned an automatic berth in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

"Off to the Breeders' Cup now! We're excited," Albaugh said in the winner's circle.

Girl Daddy certainly ran like a Breeders' Cup contender in improving to 2-for-2. After breaking slowly amid jostling at the start, she recovered to stalk the pace three wide on the outside, never far off the pace set by Inject with fractions of :22.22 and :44.97. Then the filly, whom trainer Dale Romans called the best 2-year-old filly he has ever trained, showed off her skill.

She took command with three-quarters in 1:10.17 and spurted away to win by two lengths. Girl Daddy finished the distance on a fast track in a quick 1:34.94. She paid $8.60.

"I tried to wait as long as possible to push the button, and when I did, she responded very nicely," winning rider Joe Talamo said.

Favored Crazy Beautiful rallied through traffic on the turn to grab second but could not threaten the winner, who kicked away at the head of the lane. Her jockey, Brian Hernandez Jr., told trainer Kenny McPeek that she grabbed herself early in the race—meaning she caught the heel of a front leg with a rear hoof.

Alexandria settled for third, 3 3/4 lengths behind Crazy Beautiful, in a strung-out field of nine. Xtrema was a distant fourth.

Minutes after the Pocahontas, Romans said he was inclined to go straight to the Juvenile Fillies for Girl Daddy's next start. But Romans admitted that the final decision would be made after sitting down with the "bosses," Albaugh and his son-in-law and racing manager, Jason Loutsch. 

Girl Daddy gave Romans his fourth win in the Pocahontas, the most by any trainer.

Bred in Kentucky by China Horse Club, Girl Daddy is out of the stakes-winning Unbridled's Song mare Cara Marie, who placed third in the Lake George Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course in 2015. Girl Daddy is her lone winner and starter. She was a $500,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Bluewater Sales consignment, selected by bloodstock agent Barry Berkelhammer, Romans said. 

"When we bought the filly, we loved everything about this horse, and it's turned out exactly what we hoped that we purchased," Albaugh said.

The Pocahontas was the leadoff leg on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Oaks series, providing points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to its top four finishers. The race was downgraded by the American Graded Stakes Committee for 2020 after being a grade 2 from 2010-19.

Typically run later in September, it was moved up this year for a rescheduled Derby week of fanless racing amid COVID-19. 

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