Gray's Fable Breaks Through in Appleton
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Gray's Fable wins the Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Gray's Fable returned to the races in fine form March 27, capturing his first graded stakes win in his 6-year-old debut by wiring the $100,000 Kitten's Joy Appleton Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.
The Gio Ponti gelding owned by Steve Goldfine, Kari Provost, and breeder Jeff Zlonis made his first start since winning a Sept. 12 allowance optional claiming racing at a mile on the Woodbine turf for trainer Roger Attfield. He was back at that same distance for the Appleton.
Gray's Fable broke from the hedge under Junior Alvarado and led by a length as he set fractions of :23.61 and :46.55 through the opening half-mile. Ever Dangerous stalked the pace in second and closed the gap to get within a head of Gray's Fable as six furlongs went in 1:09.38.
Renaisance Frolic, who was racing in third, threw his bid in as well and moved into second in the stretch, but Gray's Fable found another gear and opened back up. The gray/roan gelding continued on to a two-length win, completing the mile in 1:32.64 on firm turf. He returned $16.20 on a $2 win wager.
"He's a horse that in the post parade he was kind of full of himself. He was showing he's kind of like an attitude horse, he wants to do things his way. He doesn't want you to get in his way," Alvarado said. "When we left the gate he broke very well, so I kind of smooched him a little bit and let him do his own thing. I was pretty sure that he knew what he was going to do."
Renaisance Frolic held second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Ever Dangerous in third. Perfect Speightly, Seismic Wave, Forever Mo, Little Menace, and Frostmourne, who bobbled at the start, completed the order of finish.
Gray's Fable was bred in Kentucky out of the stakes-placed Oratory mare Myrtle's Gray, who foaled a Temple City colt March 3 and also has an unraced 2-year-old Danza filly named O'Babe.
A $7,000 RNA when consigned by In Good Company to the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Gray's Fable has earned $173,743 from a 4-1-3 record in 11 starts.
Video: Kitten's Joy Appleton S. (G3T)
War Like Goddess Lands Orchid
George Krikorian's War Like Goddess surged late to nip Always Shopping at the wire in the $100,000 Orchid Stakes (G3T) Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
The 1 3/8-mile Orchid for fillies and mares aged 4 and up was the first graded stakes win for the 4-year-old English Channel filly and only the fourth start of her career. She won on debut last September at Churchill Downs and annexed an allowance race there last fall, then returned Feb. 27 to finish fifth in Gulfstream's The Very One Stakes (G3T).
War Like Goddess, ridden by Julien Leparoux for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, had an extra sixteenth of a mile to run Saturday than in The Very One. She passed even-money favorite Always Shopping late for a nose win.
War Like Goddess wins the Orchid Stakes at Gulfstream Park
"Timing was important there. She just got up in the last jump," Mott said. "I just told Julien to let her get her feet under her and make a run. I kept it simple."
With a race under her belt this year, War Like Goddess was settled in eighth of nine through the first mile of the Orchid. Sister Hanan showed the way with fractions of :23.93, :48.55, 1:13.83, and 1:37.49. Always Shopping, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., stalked the pace in fourth through a half-mile, then moved up to race in third.
Leparoux guided War Like Goddess five wide as the field turned to make their way past the grandstand for the second time. Always Shopping took the lead down the stretch, but War Like Goddess made up ground with a furious rally and got up in the final stride. The final time was 2:12.34 on the firm turf.
"Just in time. I didn't know if I got it or not at the wire. No matter what happened, she ran good," Leparoux said. "I'm glad I got the win. She's the kind of filly who comes from behind, so on this track, you have to worry about that a little bit, but she had a nice kick at the end so she made it fun.
"I think she probably needed one (race) last time, but today she felt really good, awake before the race," Leparoux added. "She was traveling (well) throughout the race the whole time and I was happy where I was. I know I was coming very fast to Irad, but it was a matter of if I had time or not. She was running very hard at the end. She's a nice filly. She's won three races out of four and I think she can improve."
Always Shopping finished three lengths ahead of third-placed Sorrel. Delta's Kingdom, Sister Hanan, Morning Molly, Crystalle, Belle Laura, and Dizzy rounded the order of finish.
War Like Goddess was bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm and is out of the North Light mare Misty North, whose most recent foals are a yearling Bal a Bali colt and Thecradlewillrock, an unraced 2-year-old Red Rocks filly.
Now an earner of $156,184, War Like Goddess was a $30,000 purchase by H N D Bloodstock at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale out of the Hemingway Racing & Training Stables consignment. She first sold as a weanling at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $1,200 to Falcon L & L Stables/Lawrence Hobson when consigned by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services.