Call Pat Up in Time to Win Groupie Doll
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Miller Racing's Call Pat and Joe Rocco Jr. unleashed a huge move late in the middle of the track to catch pacesetting longshot Fioretti for a half-length victory in the Groupie Doll Stakes (gr. III) for fillies and mares at Ellis Park.
Fioretti, sent off at 22-1 odds, and Sophie Doyle opened up by six lengths down the backside, as they sizzled in fractions of :23.55, :45.80, and 1:09.25 through six furlongs, and led by four into the stretch. Call Pat, last early in the 12-horse field and ninth after six furlongs, came flying late to just get up in time.
The slight 7-2 favorite trained by Brad Cox, Call Pat completed the mile over a fast track in 1:35.14, just off the track record 1:34.41.
Call Pat paid $9.60, $6.00, and $4.80, while Fioretti was worth $15.20 and $9.80.
Pistolpackinpenny, who was forwardly-placed in fourth under jockey Jon Court and made a bid in the stretch before flattening out, paid $11.00 to show. The top two combined for a $213.80 exacta. Willow Hills, the second choice who had won three of four starts, with one second, previous to the Groupie Doll, stalked the quick early pace before finishing ninth under Robby Albarado.
The victory was the first stakes win for Call Pat, who previously finished second in the Mari Hulman George Stakes at Indiana Grand Race Course. The 5-year-old daughter of Lawyer Ron bred in Kentucky by Don Ameche III, Don Ameche Jr., and Prancing Horse Enterprises, has a record of 5-5-3, with earnings of $285,389 in 25 career starts.
Call Pat was initially owned and trained by Philip Sims, who bought her for $7,500 from the Allied Bloodstock consignment to the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale. The mare went through several ownership changes and a succession of trainers before being turned over to Cox last fall.