Innovative Idea Skips Shed, Wins Stakes

Godolphin Racing's Innovative Idea, winner of Ellis Park's Groupie Doll (gr. III) Aug. 6, came close to being retired early this year and bred in late March.

"She was literally getting on the van (to go to Darley at Jonabell Farm near Lexington)," trainer Eoin Harty said. "That's how close it was. I was at a spring training game in Phoenix, Az., and I got a phone call (from Darley America president Jimmy Bell). We talked briefly, and he said, 'What do you think?' I said, 'Whatever your decision is, make up your mind quickly. Because she is literally getting (on) the van going home.' The rest is history."

Bell decided to keep racing Innovative Idea, a daughter of Darley stallion Bernardini  , winner of the 2006 Preakness, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup (all gr. I). The reward came when Innovative Idea, stakes-placed as a 2-year-old, captured $100,000 Iowa Distaff for her first stakes victory, then really enhanced her value by becoming a graded stakes winner.

"She's a May foal—always kind of a late developer," said the operation's chief financial officer Rusty Thompson, who was on hand for the race. "We didn't want to give up on her. She never was really big, as you can tell. But she's finally coming into her own. It's exciting."

Innovative Idea is a daughter of the Seeking the Gold mare Golden Velvet, a multiple graded stakes winner who also was grade I-placed. Golden Velvet is out of the same multiple graded stakes winner (Caress) that produced grade I winner Sky Mesa. The female family also includes champion Outstandingly, Country Cat, and multiple graded stakes winners Bernstein and Wiseman's Ferry.

"This is really good for the mare. Golden Velvet is a good mare for us," Thompson said. "To get a graded stakes winner for her is a good thing for the farm."

"Good thing for the trainer," Harty quipped.

It was a big day for Godolphin, topped by Frosted's victory in the grade I Whitney at Saratoga Race Course.

Innovative Idea vanned back to Chicago Aug. 7. "She's back healthy and happy at Arlington Park," said Harty, who has no immediate plan for the Groupie Doll winner.

"We'll feed her a ton of carrots and let her roll—pony her for a week, 10 days—and when she starts squealing, we'll get a condition book" to pick out a target race, he said after the race.