Campanelle, Bran Speed Home in Kentucky Downs Sprints
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Photo: Coady Photography
Campanelle edges Bay Storm in the Ladies Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs
Whatever the obstacle, Campanelle typically overcomes it.
A trip to France? No problem.
A seven-month layoff? Got it.
An 82-day layoff exiting a third-place finish to the best sprinters in Europe?
She does it again.
Back on North American soil in the Sept. 10 Mint Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3T) on a cloudy, sometimes rainy afternoon at Kentucky Downs, the global-trotting sprinter posted her fifth graded stakes score.
"It feels great (to win back in the U.S.)," an elated jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said after the race. "I just love her—she's fun to ride, and she's crazy good."
Ortiz has been aboard Campanelle for all three of her starts this year and accompanied the 4-year-old daughter of Kodiac to England this past summer, where he competed in his first Royal Ascot meet.
Selected by bloodstock agent Ben McElroy out of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for the equivalent of $243,773, Campanelle has more than paid her dividends on owner Barbara Banke's investment. A multiple group 1 winner overseas, 10-time starter Campanelle has earned $1,060,417 in six trips to the winner's circle for the Stonestreet Stables colors.
Starting as the heavy favorite in the $736,030 race among a field of 12, Campanelle tracked in fourth early, three-wide behind splits of :21.55 and :44.73. Angled out five-wide around the turn for home, Campanelle glided into contention as pacesetter Creative Credit gave way to the stalking Bay Storm and Tyler Gaffalione.
Striking the front with two furlongs to go, Ortiz Jr. admitted the filly made the lead prematurely, but he knew when Bay Storm sidled up to Campanelle, his wouldn't stop fighting to the wire. The rider struck the filly twice before putting his stick away in the final furlong and hand riding his filly to a nose victory over a determined runner-up.
"It got a little close," Banke said of the close finish, which saw Campanelle ($3.56) defeat Bay Storm in a final time of 1:14.57 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.
Trainer Wesley Ward holds a strong hand for this November's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) should he send both defending race champ Golden Pal as well as Campanelle in the $1 million 5 1/2-furlong grass sprint.
Stonestreet also has another quick turf sprinter with Ward with 3-year-old filly Twilight Gleaming .
"I don't know where we'll put her (and her stablemates) exactly (in the Breeders' Cup), but my money's on her," Banke said of Campanelle.
"She's cool, composed, and she's a real fighter besides being very fast."
Bridlewood Farm's Bay Storm was a clear second in her graded stakes debut, three lengths ahead of She Can't Sing in third.
Campanelle, bred in Ireland by Pier House Stud, was ineligible for Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund incentives in the race for Kentucky-bred runners. The daughter of the stakes-winning Namid mare Janina ran for a $550,000 pot, upping her earnings to $1,060,417.
Of the six graded stakes races on the card that boasted the KTDF bonus, only one Kentucky-bred took home the top prize.
Video: Mint Ladies Sprint S. (G3T)
Bran Shows His Power in Turf Sprint
For most, trainer John Sadler's first Kentucky Downs win seemed like a bit of a curveball finish when Bran took the $648,640 FanDuel Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) ahead of favorite and show finisher Arrest Me Red .
"I think people maybe underestimated him a little bit, but they forgot how good his race was at Churchill. That was a really good second at Churchill. I thought he was a good fit for this," Sadler said.
"Remember, when we're talking about Santa Anita, he's run six (furlongs) on the flat, and he's run 6 1/2 down the hill. So, he's had good experience, then you throw in what they do in Europe, where the courses are different. So all those things made a good vibe for the horse going there."
Moving steadily into the lead from the gate was allowance winner Artemus Citylimits who came into the field after Gregorian Chant was scratched.
The gelded son of Temple City kept up his lead through fractions of :21.51 and :43.97, with 30-1 shot Johnny Unleashed running in second, and Arzak in third.
Down the stretch, Bran, under Vincent Cheminaud, fired to come up against the frontrunner while Arrest Me Red moved up from sixth, both challenging. It was a battle down to the wire, with Bran managing to edge his rivals by a head to take the six-furlong event in a track record time of 1:07.41.
Bran wins the Turf Sprint Stakes
Artemus Citylimits held second, outlasting Arrest Me Red.
Owned by Hronis Racing, Bran paid $25.86 on a $2 win ticket and improved his record to 7-4-4 from 21 starts. His earnings increased to $678,932.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Arrest Me Red did not quite have the trip that trainer Wesley Ward expected.
"We got away a little slow, and he bided his time, and took his time to get there. We turned for home, and they gave us a little bit of a thrill. About a sixteenth of a mile out, I knew we were in trouble today," Ward said. "They don't give these million-dollar races away, so hats off to the winner and to the second. We just got beat, no excuse."
Ward says that he will target the Breeders' Cup next with the multiple graded stakes winner.
Bran will also be headed there, with Saturday's race being a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).
Bred in France by Lordship Stud, Bran is out of the King's Best mare Best Intent , who has three winners from four foals to race. She also has a 2-year-old Le Havre filly named Atakama and a yearling Le Havre colt.
In his most recent public auction, Bran was a $92,747 purchase by Shawn Dugan from the Delcher Sanchez consignment to the 2020 Arqana Saint-Cloud Sale.