Avenge Defends Her Title in Rodeo Drive

Avenge used a familiar stepping stone to rediscover her best form.

One year after she earned her first top-level victory in the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park, the 5-year-old daughter of War Front  used the 1 1/4-mile turf test to snap a three-race losing skid when she overtook pacesetter Goldy Espony en route to a three-quarter-length win Sept. 30.

Though she had only finished worse than third once in the six starts that preceded Saturday's edition of the Rodeo Drive, Avenge's most recent effort was a sixth-place run in the  Aug. 5 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T), when she was outkicked by all but one in the lane. While she wired her rivals in last year's Rodeo Drive, this time it was her turn to show her turn of foot could hold off the cavalry.

With Goldy Espony leading the nine-horse field past the stands for the first time, Avenge raced in the two-path in second under the red-hot handling of jockey Flavien Prat, who also guided Moonshine Memories to victory in the Chandelier Stakes (G1) and Paradise Woods to the win in the Zenyatta Stakes (G1) earlier on the card. The dark bay mare stayed just off leader's tail through a quarter-mile in :23.72 and a half-mile in :47.50 before being joined in the first flight by favored Goodyearforroses, who made a bid to her outside.

"My filly was nice and relaxed," Prat said. "When (Corey) Nakatani (aboard Goodyearforroses) came to me at the three-eighths, my filly grabbed the bit, but she stayed relaxed."

Those two moved in tandem to descend upon Goldy Espony as they approached the far turn before Avenge snatched the advantage outright coming into the head of the lane. With Prat going to the right-handed whip, the Richard Mandella trainee kept digging to find more, held off a slew of late runners, and hit the wire in 1:58.74 over a course rated firm.

"This feels very good. This is what we do this for," Mandella said. "I was impressed that she settled off the leader and that she had such a good finish.

"I felt better about it at the quarter pole. When she exploded away from there, you could tell it was working. It's been frustrating, because we couldn't quite get her back to herself until now, but I think we do have her now, and we hope we're in as good of shape as we (were) last year."

Goldy Espony fought back to get second by a nose over Responsibleforlove, with the latter a nose in front of Amboseli in fourth. Even-money favorite Goodyearforroses stopped in the lane and came home eighth.

"We were traveling really well and then we engaged with the winner," Nakatani said. "That horse of Mandella's was really running. I saw Mandella's horse came home in :58 and that's moving for a mile and quarter. My horse was a little too keen today. We clipped heels a couple of times and I had to turn her off. She'll be fine."

Owned by Ramona Bass, Avenge is now on track for a return outing in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T), a race she finished third in last November. She improved her record to seven wins from 16 starts with earnings of $868,341 in earnings and returned $6, $4, and $3 across the board Saturday.

Bred by Lerici Syndicate, Avenge was purchased for $650,000 by Steve Young, agent, out of the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale and is out of the Woodman mare Lerici.