Campanelle Takes Season Debut in Giant's Causeway

Starting her season on top, multiple group 1 winner Campanelle  bested a field of 12 rivals to win her 2022 debut at Keeneland in the $162,475 Giant's Causeway Stakes.

The Wesley Ward trainee owned by Stonestreet Stables went into fifth and stayed on the pace until moving into third at the stretch where she picked up and surged past Lawrence Goichman's Star Devine  to cross the wire first. She finished with a final time of 1:01.98 for 5 1/2 furlongs on a "good" course.

The runner-up, like the winner, made her first start of 2022 in Saturday's race. She had not started since capturing the Galway Stakes at Saratoga Race Course last summer for trainer Jorge Abreu.

Checking in behind the top two was Goin' Good , who gamely finished third, a length and a half behind Star Devine and a nose in front of last year's winner, Change of Control . The latter rallied down the lane but ended fourth

Ward was elated with the win and gave credit to jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. for expertly piloting the filly. 

"I told Irad to work his way out, there's a lot of fast fillies in there...Irad's the man of the moment," Ward said. "He always gets them in the right position, he's very patient. It was a good fit for the horse, he rode a beautiful race."

"I just followed the instructions," added Ortiz. "Wesley told me to try to be close to the speed horses, and that's what I did. She flew home when I asked her to run."

The 4-year-old daughter of Kodiac  made her return after a six-month hiatus following her third-place finish in the Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes (G3T) last October. Ward indicated her next start would likely come June 18 start at Royal Ascot in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1). 

Later in the year, the filly may be headed to Australia.

When asked about a potential start at the Breeders' Cup back at Keeneland in November, Ward says only time will tell. 

"Obviously she won a beautiful race today...I wouldn't want her to take on Golden Pal  right now," Ward said of her dual Breeders' Cup-winning stablemate. "I had dinner (with Stonestreet's Barbara Banke) last night and we talked about possibly The Everest ($15,000,000 turf sprint) over in Australia. We've got to get through the summer and see how things materialize and see how she does.

"She just did great; she loves it here in Kentucky...She ran a big, big race today and we're really excited." 

Bred in Ireland by Tally-Ho Stud, Campanelle is out of the stakes-winning Namid (GB) mare Janina , who has four winners out of five starters. Her offspring include the winning mare Qafliah who has earnings of $116,663.