Sharing Gallops to Edgewood Stakes Score
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Photo: Rick Samuels
Sharing wins the Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs
In her first start since a game runner-up finish to Alpine Star in the June 20 Coronation Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable's Sharing picked up right where she left off—with a dominant victory at Churchill Downs.
The 3-year-old Speightstown filly, the winner of the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T), tracked pacesetter In Good Spirits all the way around in the $300,000 Edgewood Stakes Presented by Forcht Bank (G2T), put away that rival charging into the head of the lane, and drew off to a 1 1/4-length win under Manny Franco.
She is 2-for-2 at Churchill, where she took the May 23 Tepin Stakes before her overseas adventure.
"You bring a filly like this on a big day and the nerves are always running high," Aron Wellman of Eclipse said of the Graham Motion trainee. "She's a Breeders' Cup winner. We took her to Ascot. She ran lights out. This is her first race back. … She's a special filly. I'm just happy for all our partners: Antony Beck at Gainesway, all the Eclipse Partners. Manny, Graham—what can you say? Perfection."
Conditions were less than perfect for Sharing as the turf course was rated good after overnight rain in the area. The chestnut filly tugged a little after breaking from post 3 in the mile event but settled in just off the flank of In Good Spirits through splits of :24.44, :48.76, and 1:12.81 before making her move.
"The ground was a little against her today. I'm not sure she was entirely comfortable," Wellman said. "That might have been why she was pulling on Manny early, trying to get a hold of the turf."
Sharing edged clear of her rival through seven-eighths in 1:24.58 and drew off to a comfortable victory in a final time of 1:36.87. Sent off as the 3-5 choice in a seven-horse field, she returned $3.20 on a $2 win wager while improving her earnings to $1,038,751. Her record stands at 5-1-1 from seven starts.
"I can't lie, I was pretty anxious about it because she was coming off a long trip and a long break," Motion said. "But she's so classy, she makes us all look good, I think. She had a great work last weekend, and Manny gave her a perfect ride. It couldn't have set up any better, quite honestly.
"I figured she probably would be (a little fresh). The last thing I said was just tell Manny to keep her settled. She hasn't run for a while so it's not surprising, but she's never overly anxious. She's such a pro."
Hendy Woods closed from fourth to get second after getting checked hard going into the first turn. Lucky Betty was 2 1/2 lengths back in third. The order of finish was completed by In Good Spirits, Pranked, Walk In Marrakesh, and Mariafoot. Outburst was scratched.
Sharing (black and blue cap) tracks In Good Spirits out of the clubhouse turn
Bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm out of 2010 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) winner Shared Account, Sharing was a $350,000 purchase from Upson Downs Farm's consignment to the 2018 edition of The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
After shipping back to Motion's Maryland base at Fair Hill Training Center, Sharing could next target the Oct. 10 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana Farm (G1T) at Keeneland.
"That's the logical spot," Wellman said. "For a 3-year-old filly, that is sort of our Breeders' Cup. She's run well twice in Kentucky now. The spacing is ideal from the Edgewood to the QEII. Hopefully if she has a good couple weeks, we'll come back to Kentucky."
Motion, however, hesitates a bit when the 1 1/8-mile distance of the QEII comes to mind.
"The only question I have in my mind is how far she wants to go," he said. "She obviously loves this distance. The next race would be 1 1/8 miles if we go to the QEII at Keeneland. I don't know if she wants to go that far. I don't know why she wouldn't, but she seems awfully good going a mile. I think the QEII is a race anyone with a good 3-year-old (turf) filly wants to go to. I'm so tickled to get a race under her now because this makes it easier going forward now we've got this level of fitness.
"And I can't say enough about working with Aron and Antony. I feel like we've called the right shots and it's because of them. They've never put any pressure on me."