KD Ladies Turf (Grade 3)- $1,500.000 Purse
KD- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile on the Turf
August 31, 2024

We’ll have to wait a little to talk about La Terrifiant cracking $10,000.000 in career earnings, because the KD Ladies Turf would belong to Mb Stables. Demanding Commander and Wander would finish in the top two spots, capping off a great race for the trainer. And when a very close photo saw Poetic Panther get the head bob on La Terrifiant, this would mean that the great mare would end the day three bucks shy of the milestone. Demanding Commander has a way to go before she can think about $10,000.000, but the five-year-old Twin Towers mare just won for the fifth time in six starts. It’s the second win in the race for Mb Stables, as he won last year with Wander, and W T Buick is the winning rider. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:34.24, notably quicker than the 2022 race that was also on good turf. Let’s take a look at how it was won, but please bear in mind, races are harder to follow on the old viewer:

(1/4 Mile- :23.17)- Last year’s winner from Mb Stables, Wander, jumps out of the gate quickly and battles with High Voltage’s Omnibus for the top spot. After a quarter mile, it is Omnibus that prevails here by half a length. Stalking the top two, we have our two biggest names in the race. One of them is our eventual winner from Mb Stables, Demanding Commander, and running right alongside of her is the great La Terrifiant, who hopes to give Smokey Stover another massive win here at KD. Right behind them, we have a group of three consisting of Lorient (TwinTowersRacing), Poetic Panther (Maletto), and Scalp (Spankys Barn). Behind them are the trailers, Not A Big Deal (Mb Stables) and Villeneuve (Mo Mentum Farm).

(½ Mile- :46.62)- Not a whole lot has changes as we begin to work our way around the turn. Omnibus and Wander are still out in front and running side by side. Demanding Commander and La Terrifiant continue to have a stalking trip right behind them, but some space opens up on the rail that Lorient looks to capitalize on. Poetic Panther runs by herself now, right behind Demanding Commander as Scalp falls into the clutches of Not A Big Deal and Villeneuve.

(Top of Stretch, 2.0F To Go)- Wander begins to prevail in the battle with Omnibus as we approach the top of the stretch. She’ll lead by about a length, but her stablemate Demanding Commander is looking to take over the top spot as she runs to her outside. It’s definitely worth nothing that Demanding Commander put a full length of separation between her and La Terrifiant at this point. Now, La Terrifiant as Lorient also looking to get by to her inside, and Poetic Panther simply has to follow Demanding Commander through as she tries to do the same. Further back, Not A Big Deal, Scalp, and Villeneuve were looking like beaten horses.

(Finish- 1:34.24)- Wander tries to hang on, but Demanding Commander was going to be too much for her to deal with at this point. Mb Stables was fine with that, just as long as no new challengers emerged to take away his exacta, especially Poetic Panther. But as we got closer to the wire, it was more and more clear that Mb Stables was going to get the 1-2 finish here, with Demanding Commander running first and Wander second. It would be very close for third, and in a tight photo, Poetic Panther would get the head bob on La Terrifiant, so for now, the $10,000.000 watch on that one will continue. Omnibus was also very close in that photo but settles for fifth. Lorient seemed like she was destined for better but is only sixth and beaten by four lengths. Villeneuve, Not A Big Deal, and Scalp were outclassed on this day. The retirement of Villeneuve was announced soon after and she’s already given birth!

About The Winner- Demanding Commander, trained by Mb Stables, and ridden to victory by W T Buick, is a five-year-old mare by Twin Towers and is out of Aeneid. She was by Hippyheart as a yearling in California and was acquired by Mb Stables in private sales for $625.000 in April 2023. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fourteenth in 29 starts and her eleventh stake win, all of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $3,604.040.

Track: Good
Time: :23  :46³  1:10²  1:34¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 4 – 9 Paid 45.90
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 9 – 7 Paid 670.60

Scratched: Lousiana Woo

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES