Fioretti Stuns TCA Field to Earn BC Berth
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Fioretti and Sophie Doyle take the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes
Two Hearts Farm and Don Janes' Fioretti loaded up on accomplishments Oct. 3 at Keeneland when she captured the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (gr. II).
The 5-year-old Bernardini mare, off at odds of 17-1, made her move on the outside in the stretch and held off a late drive by Heykittykittykitty to win by a half-length, punching her ticket to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" program.
It was the first graded win for Fioretti, and also the first graded score for trainer Anthony Hamilton Jr. and jockey Sophie Doyle.
After Desert Valley set the pace with fractions of :22.40 and :45.56 through a half-mile, Fioretti surged by on the outside and hit the wire in 1:10.04 for six furlongs on a track rated muddy. She sat fifth early, 2 1/4 lengths off the leaders, and traveled five-wide on the turn.
The winner paid $36.40, $14.40, and $6.60 across the board. Heykittykittykitty brought $7.80 and $3.80, and even-money favorite Judy the Beauty returned $2.60 to show, three-quarters of a length back in third.
“We had a perfect trip," Doyle said. "Fioretti traveled beautifully throughout the race. I just waited until the quarter pole, grabbed her up tight and sent her on. She did it lovely. I saw Judy the Beauty on the inside, and I saw her start to make her move. I was thinking, ‘I think I have a bit more left in the tank than you do.’"
Bred by James Bell out of the Cherokee Run mare Move Clickly, Fioretti now has a 5-7-1 record from 22 starts with $330,968 in earnings. She just missed in her graded debut in the Groupie Doll Stakes (gr. III) at Ellis Park Aug. 8, when she was a half-length behind winner Call Pat.
“We knew she was strong coming in, but this was a tall order,” Hamilton said.