Viadera Battles to Ballston Spa Victory
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Viadera (outside) edges High Opinion to win the Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Viadera eked out a nose victory to return to her winning ways in the $400,000 Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course.
The 5-year-old Bated Breath mare battled with Chad Brown stablemates Tamahere and Kalifornia Queen and held off the inside bid of Anthony Dutrow-trained High Opinion to take the 1 1/16-mile turf event for older fillies and mares.
"She has an affinity for the wire, this horse," Brown said. "If you train horses long enough you'll realize that certain horses know where it is on the winning end and some seem to come up on the losing end. She's one of the ones who knows where it is."
It was the sixth Ballston Spa score for Brown, all coming since 2012.
In her only other start this year, Viadera rallied to finish fourth in the Aug. 8 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes at Saratoga. Jockey Joel Rosario had to steady her in that event when she was blocked by a trio of horses near the three-sixteenths pole. In 2020 the Juddmonte homebred won four straight, topped by the Nov. 29 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar.
"Last time she was coming off a long layoff and the pace didn't work out all that well," said Juddmonte general manager Garrett O'Rourke. "It was better here. She was sharper and I still thought the filly on the inside probably had momentum on us going to the line, but she just has a way of always getting her nose down on the line. She keeps winning photo finishes and everyone wants a horse with ability, but that competitive edge is fantastic as well."
Sent off as the 4-5 favorite, Viadera was back under Rosario Saturday and settled in third along the rail. Pacesetter Tamahere and Platinum Paynter opened up a four-length advantage as the opening quarter went in :22.60 and the field drew closer together as the tempo slowed to a :47.55 half.
Viadera advanced into second, and as Tamahere ran three-quarters in 1:12.12, she was swung to the outside heading into the stretch. High Opinion caught up to the Brown horses with a rail bid and Kalifornia Queen came into contention on the outside.
Tamahere faded approaching the wire, but Viadera ($3.60) dug in for the narrow victory. The final time was 1:41.82 on a firm course.
"It was a better trip today with horses being in front and I was able to track there for a little bit," Rosario said. "Turning for home, I was clear. She always tries really hard. She's a very good filly."
High Opinion was second by a half-length over Kalifornia Queen, who got her head in front of Tamahere. New York Girl and Platinum Paynter completed the order of finish.
Bred in Great Britain, Viadera is out of the Beat Hollow mare Sacred Shield . On Friday her 2-year-old full sister Sacred Bridge won the Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes (G3) at the Curragh, and her older brother Crossed Baton (Dansili ) was a multiple group placed stakes winner.
Sacred Shield is also the dam of a yearling Camacho colt and this year produced another Bated Breath filly.
Viadera holds a 7-1-1 record from 15 starts and has earned $618,641. Brown is now looking at the Oct. 9 First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) at Keeneland.
"I'm not sure if she's a Breeders' Cup horse, but we sure would like to go back and defend her title in the Matriarch at the end of the year, which will most likely, all things being equal, be the last start of her career," he said.