Ritzaphena Fights to Give Lexitonian His First Winner
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Photo: Dustin Orona Photography
Ritzaphena (inside) digs in to break her maiden at Lone Star Park
Closing day at Lone Star Park July 13 brought an important milestone for Lexitonian as the grade 1 winner was represented by his first winner: Ritzaphena , a juvenile filly from his first crop.
A Calumet homebred who stood at the Lexington farm this season for a fee of $7,500, Lexitonian was a winner in each of his four seasons on the track while facing the country's best sprinters from coast to coast.
His greatest triumph came in his 5-year-old season, winning the 2021 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course in a field that included 2020 champion sprinter Whitmore .
Overall, Lexitonian posted a 5-2-2 record from 21 starts for earnings of $718,682. For this season, he has six starters to date from 59 2-year-olds. He also has 53 reported yearlings.
Making her career debut in a 7 1/2-furlong turf race, Ritzaphena found herself in good stalking position beneath jockey Floyd Wethey Jr. Taking the lead in the stretch, the filly battled hard to the wire to emerge a head winner in 1:31.18.
Bred in Kentucky by Brandywine Farm, Ritzaphena is out of the Desert Party mare Ritz and Glitz. She most recently was purchased for $75,000 by Scott Gelner from the SGV Thoroughbreds consignment in April's Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Jayde Gelner trains the filly for owner Sandeep Patel.