Apple Betty Surges to Dowager Win

Stalking just behind the leader for most of the 1 1/2-mile turf test, Apple Betty powered home to a 3 1/2-length win in the $125,000 Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes (G3T) Oct. 22 at Keeneland.

Joe Allen's daughter of Galileo (IRE) finished second by a nose in last year's Dowager. Sunday's score was her first graded stakes win. 

"When I ran her at Saratoga (in the grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes Aug. 5), I ran her back too quick, and she got pushed along a little bit," said winning trainer Shug McGaughey. "We gave her the break with this race in mind. She had trained really strong. My main concern is just getting her to settle. 

"There was some speed (in the Dowager), so she was able to lay in behind. You just gotta let her do her thing. She was in behind horses today, and the way (jockey John Velazquez) was able to wait for that hole and be able to finish was a big key."

Out of the gate, Daddy's Boo took the lead in the field of 10 fillies and mares, while Apple Betty and Bootsy's Girl stalked from second and third early on. As Bootsy's Girl dropped back after a quarter-mile in :26.37, Daring Duchess moved up into second after a half-mile in :51.21. Daddy's Boo led the field through fractions of 1:15.77 for six furlongs and 1:41.27 for a mile through the third and final turn. As they hit the stretch, Apple Betty, who shifted inside to save ground, found an opening on the rail and surged forward. While Promotional was closing fast, Apple Betty could not be caught and hit the wire 3 1/2 lengths in front. The final time was 2:30.80 over the firm turf. 

Promotional settled for second, while favored Lottie closed from seventh to finish another 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Grateful and Coco Channel rounded out the top five. The winner returned $8, $4.60, and $3.20 across the board. 

"She did it pretty good," Velazquez said. "She's been kind of fighting the lead the whole time (in her previous races). We decided to take her back a little bit since there was a little more speed. 

"They didn't go very fast, but I got her to settle behind other horses. Once I got her through at the quarter pole she did it pretty easily."

Apple Betty began her career in Europe, where she picked up a stakes win and earned two group 3 placings in France before she came to the U.S. in the fall of 2016. After her second-place run in the 2016 Dowager, she returned to racing in May and finished a well-beaten third in the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2T). She then ran seventh in the New York Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2T) before scoring a front-running victory in the July 9 River Memories Stakes at Belmont Park. 

The 4-year-old entered the Dowager off a fourth in the 1 1/2-mile Fasig Tipton Waya Stakes. On Sunday, she improved her record to 5-1-4 from 14 starts with earnings of $290,619. 

Bred in Ireland by the Absolutelyfabulous Syndicate, Apple Betty is out of the Mozart (IRE) mare Absolutelyfabulous. She is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner and Ashford Stud sire Magician , who counts the 2013 Tattersalls Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) and Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) among his scores.