Selene Stakes (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
For Filles Three Years Old
WO- One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
May 15, 2016

Just three years ago, there was no separating Diesel Phenom (Blushing Meadows) and Lemon Tart (Silver Star Stables), and the race was declared a dead heat.  Now again, this year, we would have another dead heat, this time between Mb Stables’ Proud Bird and Heavens Own Aldonza.    The two have had very different paths to this race. Proud Bird made her racing debut on August 28th in a hardly noticed MSW at RUI.   On August 29th, Aldonza was racing in the $75.000 AP Washington Lassie a month after finishing 6th in the Grade 3 Schuylerville. Both won on those respective late August days.  For Proud Bird, the debut win was the start of three in a row which would later be followed by a fourth at the Grade 3 Fantasy at OP.  For Aldonza, she had never won again.  Today, there is nothing between them, and they finish in a dead heat.  Congrats to the winning trainers, who are Mb Stables and Heavens Own.  The winning jockeys are L Contreras (Proud Bird) and G Olguin (Aldonza). The winning race time of 1:41.94 makes it one of the faster editions of the stake.  Let’s take a look!

1st (dh)- 3- Proud Bird (4/1)– Our first race winner, from Mb Stables, found herself doing the same thing early as she would late, and running evenly with Aldonza.  The pair would be about three lengths off the lead down the backstretch, with Proud Bird in the second lane.  Maintained this position until the top of the final turn, where she and others began to make a stronger push towards the front.  Very briefly, it looked as though she might get boxed in a little bit, though eventually enough of a hole between I Can Dance and Aldonza would open up just for to go on through just as they hit the top of the stretch.  With a furlong to go, she was still fourth, and it was seeming as though Aldonza, or her stablemate Regal Portrait had the better shot at the win. She would not give in, and in the very late strides she made up an impressive amount of ground, leading to her being able to the wire just time to get a dead heat on Aldonza.  Proud Bird is a three year old filly by Proud Chai and out of Love Bird (Steel Ball).  She was bred in Florida by Mb Stables as a second quarter two year old, and they have been together throughout.  Congratulations to the connections!

1st (dh)- 4- Aldonza (3/1)- Our second race winner, from Heavens Own, got off to good start originally, but would ultimately decide to race alongside fellow winner Proud Bird as well as Regal Portrait in the backstretch, in the outside lane.  Ran steady in the turn, but it would not be until the top of the stretch where Aldonza really looked like she might be about to win this race.  G Olguin asked her for more run here, and the filly responded with authority.  With a furlong to go, she had emerged with the lead, though was well outside, though it still seemed like the wire would come up in time for her.  In the dying moments though, Aldonza lost more ground then she probably should have, and allowed Proud Bird to get up there and pull even at the wire.  Aldonza is a three year old filly by Il Miglio Fabro and out of Fast Nevada.  She was bred in Kentucky by Jerry Garcia Racing as a first quarter two year old and acquired by Heavens Own via private sales for $375.000 in March.  Congratulations to the connections!

3rd- 2- Regal Portrait (7/2)- Our choice from Mb Stables was not quite as fast as the pacesetters, but she would start well and keep herself just off the lead while along the rail about two and a half lengths from the lead as the two winners raced beside her. Kept the leaders in sight down the backstretch, and moved over to complete the pass of Vaguely Pink in the turn.  However, that proved to be more difficult then it originally seemed like it was going to be.  In the stretch, both her stablemate and Aldonza would have a little more jump in their stride and were able to settle the race between them.

4th- 7- Vaguely Pink (15/1)– It was a strong start for the Wolfs Den entry with only I Can Dance being a bit quicker early.  Vaguely Pink would be able to get herself up along the rail for the opening turn and would run a close second as the backstretch trip began.  She would assume the lead while in the final turn, and do her best to hang on.  Vaguely Pink made things difficult for Regal Portrait to get by, as that one was likely hoping for an easier pass for the lead.   In the end, her efforts to hang on to a top three position were not quite good enough.

5th- 6- Technomin (56/1)- The closer from The Sidley Stud started the race near the pack of the back running alongside another with a similar strategy to win the race, in Looknlisten.  The two of them would continue to race side by side down the backstretch, and both would look to move forward in the final turn.  Technomin emerged as the better of the two of them at the top of the stretch.  She looked good late, there was simply no give up from many of those that had been in front of her.

6th- 5- Looknlisten (3/1)- As expected, the traditional deep closer from D J C Racing Stables was at the back early, but not as far out of it as one might have expected.  As such it seemed like she was in a great position in the early moments if she’d have the same kind of closing kick.  In the stretch, we were looking for her to make her advance, but it would not be anywhere near strong enough to be able to threaten the leaders, or even Technomin.

7th- 8- I Can Dance (26/1)- The Aml Racing filly was the fastest of them all out of the gate, and would be able to get to the second lane in time for the opening turn.  She would set the opening quarter in :23.54.  Began to show signs of inability to keep up with Vaguely Pink as the run into the turn began, and midway through the turn, she was about to be eaten up by the two winners and Regal Portrait.  Once passed, she would hold steady for a while, but lose two more spots late.

8th- 1- Bella Ensign (6/1)- The filly out of EasyMoney Stables could see them all in front of her early on, conceding seven to eights lengths to those up front, but also about two lengths to her next closest rival.  She would stay there for the backstretch trip, but start to look for room to make her move into the final turn.  The two that she needed to pass first, however, were also planning on a late charge, so she would never complete a pass, just would cut the deficit.

Track: Fast
Time: :23²  :47   1:10⁴  1:41⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 3 – 4 Paid 15.20, 4 – 3 Paid 8.20
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 4 – 2 Paid 33.00, 4 – 3 – 2 Paid 40.00

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES