Thumbs Up for Sparkling Review in Mrs. Revere
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Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's Sparkling Review kicked into gear late and charged to victory to remain undefeated since breaking her maiden, taking the $237,800 Mrs. Revere Stakes (gr. IIT) at Churchill Downs for her first grade II score .
Given a well-timed ride by jockey Julien Leparoux, who also took the $115,300 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) on Heart to Heart earlier on the card, the 3-year-old daughter of Lemon Drop Kid galloped clear by 2 3/4 lengths at odds of 4-1. She is 4-for-4 on turf from five career starts for trainer Ben Colebrook, her only loss coming her first time out when fifth over the Churchill main track June 20.
"She's got such an unbelievable turn of foot," Colebrook said. "It's pretty crazy when you think about the fact that she was just a maiden in August."
Sparkling Review's time of 1:42.33 for the 1 1/16-mile turf event on firm going was the second fastest Mrs. Revere, which was inaugurated in 1991, only behind the 1:41.73 by Mary's Follies in 2007.
Fourteen 3-year-old fillies contested the Mrs. Revere.
Kiss Moon emerged from a three-way scramble with the lead for jockey Corey Lanerie. The 29-1 shot set fractions of :23.61, :47.63, and 1:12.05 under pressure from Spring Included with Courageous Julie also in close pursuit. Meanwhile, Sparkling Review was mid-pack in the field of 14, with the patient Leparoux ready to strike.
While a tiring Kiss Moon attempted to grind out the victory, Sparkling Review was fanned into the five path, splitting horses and punching in with a speedy blast to blow past the leaders. Lady Lara also closed with a good move to get second by a neck under Shaun Bridgmohan after running into traffic trouble at the quarter pole. Kiss Moon held third, a head better than Personal Diary, with Sandiva another head back in fifth.
"I don't know if she got the best trip but she got a pretty good one," Colebrook said, "and I talked about it before the race how we didn't think she would be quite as far back as she had been in other races. But Julien was able to work that out; he saved ground around the first turn and kind of waited and he said she only really ran for a quarter of a mile."
The 2-1 favorite Testa Rossi finished seventh after flattening out in the stretch.
Sparkling Review returned $10.60, $5, and $4.80. Lady Lara brought $4.40 and $3.40 at 5-2, while Kiss Moon paid $11.40.
"She's a very nice filly," Leparoux said of the winner. "She always has given me a very nice kick at the end and she's done everything very easily in her last two wins now. I didn't even have to whip her today; I just asked her a little bit and felt like she had plenty left in the tank. I don't know where she'll go next, but I am definitely excited about riding her again."
Walk Close, Testa Rossi, Speed Seeker, Miss Frost, A Little Bit Sassy, Spring Included, Munirah, Distorted Beauty, and Courageous Julie completed the order of finish.
Bred in Kentucky by Seltzer from the Pleasant Tap mare Pleasant Review, Sparkling Review has four wins from five career starts and earnings of $303,642. She came into the Mrs. Revere off a powerful victory in the Oct. 17 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland and has now won both of her graded stakes attempts.
Colebrook said Sparkling Review is eligible for a pair of grade I $300,000 turf stakes at Del Mar—the Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles Nov. 29 and the Matriarch for fillies and mares at one mile on Nov. 30. He said he wouldn't firm future plans until he saw how she came out of the race and discussed it with his owners.