The Phipps Stakes (Grade 1) (BC)- $500.000 Purse
BEL- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
June 11, 2022

With a loaded field for the Phipps Stakes on Saturday, we were promised a great race. They were all accomplished stars, with all but one horse having won over $900.000 and there was nothing wrong with the one that has not hit that figure yet. This is a race where it would not be about form or works as they all can get it done. It would be about simple execution, tactics, the break, and an overall good trip. Fashionable would run this race a little differently than other recent ones, and did not go right out on the race lead. Instead, she would run in the middle of the pack, and when it was time to strike, she would do so for the tenth win of her career. She is trained by Mb Stables, and he wins the Phipps for the second time. He also won in 2020 with Cannolo. L Saez is the winning jockey, and does so for the first time. The time of the victory was 1:41.24, which is one of the better such times. Let’s take a look!

(1/4 Mile- :23.78)- We would have quite a battle out of the starting gate, as no one breaks away from the pack. Instead, we have four of them running side by side without being able to pull away from the others. Z Command, running in the third lane for Smokey Stover, will be credited as being the race leader at this point, but Shes A Super Freak, from YME Stable, was matching strides with her along the outside. In the inside lanes and within half a length, it’s Miss Steel Mazula from the eventual BEL winner later in the day, Nakamura Stables. (Congrats Nakaumra!). Hot Summer, from D J C Racing Stables, who had a great day at the track, is in the second lane. Our eventual winner, Mb Stables- trained Fashionable, was not going to join this group and instead maintained a stalking position on the rail. Smokey Stover’s Tenrikyo gave her company on her outside. Starting Over, out of TwinTowersRacing, was the only horse not within two lengths early on, but wasn’t left behind entirely, either.

(½ Mile- :47.20)- Completing the backstretch portion, Z Command looks to pull away from the other three, and successfully does so as she leads by a length at the top of the turn. She is not able to get all the way to the rail for now because she is not able to get completely clear of Miss Steel Mazula and Hot Summer yet, who held the inside lanes. Shes A Super Freak slipped to fourth and might have been looking a little vulnerable at this point. Fashionable and Tenrikyo held their lines in a stalking position, with neither making an advance quiet yet. Starting Over remained at the back, with around four lengths to make up.

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- About midway into the turn, Z Command was able to get completely clear of her rivals and move over to the rail. She was looking good at this point, and for a horse of her caliber, you had to think that she would be able to make it last all the way to the wire. Her lead was a length on Miss Steel Mazula, who was starting to look a little better than Hot Summer, the filly that had been beside her the whole way. Shes A Super Freak was still fourth for now, but losing ground. As for Fashionable, she was boxed in, and you could tell that she had plenty of run within her, but needed the room. L Saez was patient, and didn’t make any unnecessary moves with her. At the top of stretch, enough daylight would open up between Miss Steel Mazula and Hot Summer, and she prepared to capitalize. Meanwhile, Tenrikyo took an outside trip around the turn. Starting Over was creeping a little closer, and looked to the rail to make a move.

(Finish- 1:41.24)- In the stretch, Z Command seemed to have the race under control. She was running well, and when Miss Steel Mazula shifted one lane over, that would mean Fashionable could not use the lane she would have preferred. But for the Pegasus World Cup winner, that would not matter, as in the final furlong, she had a gear that no one else in the field would have. Her final moments in the race would have impressive against any horse, but considering that it was the likes of Z Command that she was catching like this was even more of an eye opener. We’ll see many of these in the BC Distaff in November, most likely, and here Fashionable showed that she has what it takes to win that race as well as she wins by nearly two full lengths. Z Command is second over Miss Steel Mazula. Starting Over slipped by tiring rivals for the fourth place check, beating Tenrikyo, Shes A Super Freak, and Hot Summer.

About The Winner- Fashionable, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by L Saez, is a five year old mare by Grande Sournoise, and is out of Balais Bruit. She was bred by Drabfantasy as a third quarter two year old in New York, and acquired by Mb Stables for $85.000 in a July 2019 private sale when she was still unraced. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her tenth in 24 starts, and her seventh stake win, all of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $3,159.280.

Track: Fast
Time: :23³  :47¹  1:10³  1:41¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 3 – 4 Paid 61.90
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 4 – 1 Paid 88.10

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES