Con Lima Leads All the Way in Saratoga Oaks
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Janet Garaguso
Con Lima wins the Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Irish invaders laid claim to the first half of the New York Racing Association's Turf Triple series, but Con Lima earned a win for the Americans Aug. 8 when she led gate-to-wire in the $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course.
"I was analyzing the race beforehand and we were the only speed but I wasn't 100% sure with a couple of the Euros if they would show some initiative," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "I left it in Flavien's (Prat) hands and Plan A was to break well and see if anybody would try to take the lead away from us and if they didn't, we'd be happy to have it. It worked out really well."
The Aidan O'Brien trainees Bolshoi Ballet and Santa Barbara won the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T), and Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T), respectively, last month at Belmont Park. A day before Con Lima's victory, it was Jospeh O'Brien, son of Aidan, who sent out State of Rest to win the Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T), while Bolshoi Ballet checked in fourth.
Santa Barbara did not return to contest the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks after catching Con Lima in the Belmont Oaks by a half-length, and the latter went off as the 3-1 favorite in Sunday's field of eight. Con Lima set the pace under Flavien Prat like she did in the Belmont Oaks, leading through quarter-mile fractions of :23.64, :50.02, and 1:14.34 on the firm turf course. Gam's Mission followed a length behind in second and Higher Truth raced in third.
After running a mile in 1:37.75, Con Lima still held on to the lead and opened up by 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch. Higher Truth stayed on to challenge and battled down the lane, but could only get within three-quarters of a length of the pacesetter at the wire. Con Lima completed the distance in 1:54.42 and paid $8.10 on a $2 win ticket.
"(Prat) just gradually got up there instead of having to hustle her and use her," Pletcher said. "She relaxed really well. You could see when she turned up the back side and her ears were flicking back and forth that she was in a happy zone."
Higher Truth, third a nose behind Con Lima in the Belmont Oaks, finished second in the Saratoga Oaks by 1 1/4 lengths over Creative Flair , who finished the best of the European shippers. Plum Ali and Gam's Mission ran fourth and fifth, respectively, flipping their Belmont Oaks finishes. Out of Sorts , Messidor , and Rocky Sky completed the order of finish.
"The speed was pretty much me and the Godolphin filly (Creative Flair) and it seems she broke a step slow," Prat said. "I broke better than her and I ended up on the lead. Going to the first turn I felt really comfortable. I was really pleased with the way she was traveling and I felt we were doing some easy fractions. She really kicked on well."
Con Lima is campaigned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus, and Troy Johnson. She picked up her fifth stakes win, third at the graded level, to improve her record to 7-5-0 in 13 starts with earnings of $884,865.
Lisa Kuhlmann bred the filly in Texas out of the stakes-winning Consolidator mare Second Street City , who has since produced a Point of Entry yearling colt and an April-foaled Lord Nelson colt. The mare was reported bred to Game Winner for 2022.
Con Lima was a $15,000 purchase by V. C. Corporation out of Vinery Sales' consignment to the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She failed to meet her reserve as a yearling and 2-year-old. Eclipse bought into the filly after she broke her maiden by 5 1/4 lengths in her second start last summer at Gulfstream Park for the other ownership partners and original trainer Carlos David.
The Turf Triple series concludes Sept. 18 back at Belmont with the Jockey Club Derby and Jockey Club Oaks.
Video: Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. (G3T)
Regal Glory Rallies in De La Rose
Earlier on the card, Peter Brant's Regal Glory rallied from the back of the field to score by half a length in the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes, a one-mile turf affair for older fillies and mares.
Regal Glory takes the De La Rose Stakes
The 5-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom was a three-time graded stakes winner for her late breeder Paul Pompa Jr. She was purchased by Brant for $925,000 from consignor Lane's End, agent for the complete dispersal of the Estate of Paul Pompa Jr., at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale and sent back to the stable of trainer Chad Brown.
Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Regal Glory was fifth through the first quarter-mile before dropping back to sixth. She swung six wide into the stretch before kicking home to complete the distance in 1:34.85. Hendy Woods was second and pacesetter Shifty She held for third. Regal Glory's stablemate and last year's winner Viadera was fourth in her first start of the year.
Regal Glory now has career earnings of $924,884 from an 8-3-0 record in 14 starts. She is 2-for-3 this season, and rebounded Sunday from a fourth-place finish in the June 5 Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T).
"She got a really bad trip in the Just a Game, which was unfortunate because she was really primed to run a big one and she did; it just didn't work out for her," Brown said. "But we regrouped. I spoke to Mr. Brant and said, 'Let's get her to Saratoga and let's put her in a race where she can get a good trip,' and hopefully put a W under her belt with the eye of trying to win a grade 1 with her this year, which is why he kept her in training after he bought her. We'll see what's next for her, but for now we'll just enjoy this."
Regal Glory was bred in Kentucky out of the grade 2-winning More Than Ready mare Mary's Follies . She is a half sister to Japanese grade 1 winner Café Pharoah (American Pharoah ) and multiple grade 3 winner Night Prowler (Giant's Causeway). Mary's Follies' latest foal is a yearling colt by Connect and she was bred to American Pharoah for 2022. She was purchased for $500,000 by BBA Ireland from the dispersal.