Falconet Swoops To Victory in $150K Ladies at Aqueduct
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Falconet wins the Ladies Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's Falconet notched her first stakes victory, pouncing from off the pace Jan. 1 in the 152nd running of the nine-furlong Ladies Stakes for fillies and mares 4 years old and up, the first stake of the 2023 winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and ridden by Jose Lezcano, Falconet improved from a last-out fourth-place finish in the Comely (G3) Nov. 25 at the Big A, where she stumbled at the start but lost by just 2 1/2 lengths to Sixtythreecaliber .
Falconet fared much better in the Ladies. She broke well from the outermost post 5 as Exotic West and the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Battle Bling , who won this race last year, vied for the lead to her inside. Exotic West put her head in front after an opening quarter-mile in :23.47 over the muddy and sealed main track, with Falconet stalking in third.
Lezcano asked Falconet for more down the backstretch, coming to even terms with Battle Bling to her inside after a half-mile in :47.84, well in hand and full of run as Exotic West continued to hold steady in front. Battle Bling came under light urging from Carmouche on the turn as Sweet Willemina and Tonal Vision launched wide bids from the back of the pack. Falconet came away with a clear advantage as the field reached the top of the stretch through three-quarters in 1:13.52.
Battle Bling, who was swung to the four-path by Carmouche, battled on valiantly down the lane to take second from Tonal Vision. Battle Bling chipped away at the leader's margin but could not catch a runaway Falconet, who was wrapped up just before the wire to post a two-length score in 1:52.15 as the even-money favorite.
Battle Bling completed the exacta by three lengths over Sweet Willemina, who ran on well to finish 3 1/4 lengths ahead of Tonal Vision. Exotic West faded to last in the stretch.
Byron Hughes, Pletcher's Belmont Park-based assistant, said he was pleased with the ride from Lezcano.
"I thought he did a good job keeping her in the clear and getting her in a good rhythm," said Hughes. "She responded to him and was able to kick there coming off the turn and held on."
Lezcano, on Falconet for the first time, said the filly showed her class.
"She broke good for me and she was there the whole way," Lezcano said. "When I asked her, she went on and won the race. She did everything right today."
Falconet, a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo and out of grade 1 winner Birdatthewire , entered with two runner-up efforts in stakes company as a 3-year-old in the Iowa Oaks (G3) at Prairie Meadows and Seneca Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs. Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, she banked $82,500 in victory and improved her record to 7-3-3-0. She returned $4.20 to win.