Regal Glory Storms to Just a Game Victory

Peter Brant has made it no secret that he's had his eye on capturing the $500,000 Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) this season. With a stable stacked with a barrage of top-tier turf mares, Brant assembled a trio of classy contenders for the grade 1 turf event June 11, and landed in the winner's circle following a herculean performance from Regal Glory .

In 1980, the race's namesake rolled through eight consecutive victories, including five graded stakes, before running a valiant second when stepping outside of her division to tackle males in the Man o'War Stakes (G1T). Campaigned by Brant, Just a Game was bestowed with champion turf female honors that year, an award that Regal Glory is well on her way to receiving should her momentum continue through the rest of 2022.

"I campaigned Just a Game and she was a great mare who put a large string of victories together and was a great champion," said Brant. "To have this race named after her is a great pleasure and now to win the race is very, very special."

Despite Regal Glory's remarkably consistent record, winning six of her last eight starts, including a last out score in the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, the 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom was made the 7-5 second choice behind her stablemate as the field of five loaded into the gate. That stablemate, Speak of the Devil , was a $2.2 million acquisition for Brant who put on an electrifying display on Kentucky Oaks day when taking down the Longines Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T).

Piloted by her steady companion for the last two years, Jose Ortiz, Regal Glory received a salivating set-up as the speedy Leggs Galore  and fellow Brant colorbearer In Italian  set a spirited pace up front of :22.25 and :45.53 through an opening half-mile. With Regal Glory content to track in third, as many of nine lengths behind the frontrunners, Speak of the Devil completely missed the break under Flavien Pratt and was forced to concede double-digit lengths to Leggs Galore as she trailed the field down the backstretch.

As Leggs Galore began to give way in the run into the far turn, In Italian briefly took command as Ortiz, yet to move a finger on his mount, revved up the ignition past six furlongs in a tepid 1:08.95. In Italian fought on but couldn't withstand the vigorous onslaught of her stablemate, who stormed by her in a matter of strides and stormed away for a 3 1/2-length victory.

Team Valor and Gary Barber's Wakanka, beaten by each member of the Brant trio in different races this year, staged a willing late rally down the lane to claim the runner-up slot by 1 1/2-lengths over a tiring In Italian.

Regal Glory stopped the clock in a sterling 1:32 flat for the mile on a firm turf course, a time only three ticks off the Belmont course record.

Speak of the Devil could no better than fourth after losing contact with the field for a majority of the race.

"The first day I met (Peter Brant) and I saw the trophy at his house and it was from Just a Game—it was the first thing I noticed," Brown said, notching his fifth title in the Just a Game. "We had a conversation about it, and I said this is the one race I'm going to win for you one day. We got to talking about it this week. It's meant a lot to him, this race."

Brown said the call to keep Regal Glory in training as a 6-year-old has paid off in dividends for Brant. After the chestnut's Matriarch Stakes (G1T) triumph at Santa Anita Park in December, the original plan was for Regal Glory compete in the TAA Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf presented by Pepsi (G3T) before being whisked away to the breeding shed for a mating with top stallion Into Mischief  . However, Regal Glory's powerful late running score that afternoon at Gulfstream Park was all Brant had to see to convince him to keep his star mare in training for the remainder of the season.

"It was really one of those situations where she's in her prime right now and some horses catch their peak window at different ages," Brown said. "For this horse, it's been at age 6."

Brant shelled out $925,000 for Regal Glory when she was offered as part of dispersal for the late Paul Pompa at the 2021 Keeneland January Sale. The daughter of the grade 2 winning More Than Ready   mare Mary's Follies, Regal Glory is a half sister to Japanese grade 1 winner Café Pharoah and multiple graded stakes winner Night Prowler.

Brant quipped after Regal Glory's Jenny Wiley victory that he initially believed he had "overpaid" for Regal Glory, though it appears a fair bargain now 18 months later since the mare has nearly eclipsed her hefty purchase price in just three starts.

Regal Glory could be following in the footsteps of Just a Game this summer at Saratoga Race Course, with a foray against males likely to come in the Aug. 13 Fourstardave Stakes (G1T), a Win and You're In race for the 2022 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).

Video: Longines Just a Game S. (G1T)