Big Day for Smokey Stover in BC Juvenile Fillies Turf

By Nynl Stables on November 3, 2018

BC Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade 1)- $1,000.000 Purse
CD- For Fillies Two Years Old
One Mile on the Turf
November 2, 2018

Winning a BC race? An awesome feeling. So, I’ve heard anyway. Having a 1-2 finish in a BC race? It won’t get any better then that, unless you had a third entry in the field. This is a pretty amazing accomplishment for Smokey Stover, especially when you consider he sold many good ones over the summer. He had a great Friday, by the way, as I’ll be writing about another one of his wins after I am done with this, as he swept both of the juvenile turf events. The winner of this race was Na Pali, a gifted filly by Connectivity that did seem to be one of the favorites here, as she came out of a good win in the Natalma. Here, with the lights shining the brightest, she ran a nearly flawless race, winning by two lengths over her stablemate, Grand Dragonville. That was more of a surprise. Now, we will wonder if she will be like the great 2014 winner in Broomsticks Copy, or the one who won a year later, Childe of Nature. For now, congrats to Smokey Stover on his first win in the Juvenile Filles Turf! Jockey L H Colon is also a first time winner, and the race was won in a time of 1:33.27. Let’s take a look!

(1/4 Mile- :23.24)- Moving out to the lead right from the gate is Cest And Me, out of D J C Racing Stables, doing this from the 14 post, as the outside push happens for her. Breaking well also would be Summer Beauty, from La Canada Racehorses, and it looked like these two would be the leaders in the first turn, however they would get some company at the front. Boaty McBoatface, from Estero Farms, and The Sidley Stud’s Influential Tech join the leaders, and we end up being four wide around the first turn. Cest And Me is in the outer most lane here, due to her post. Our eventual race winner from Smokey Stover, Na Pali, patiently stalked these top four horses, and would have Aer Stables’ Diluted doing the same to her inside. Artificial (Mb Stables) was a length behind them, and then approximately another length to Mademoiselle (Axeman). A gap of about a length and a half then develops before a pair of others that started near the outside: Warmed Up (Mb Stables) and Yummy Eggs (Drabfantasy). Call Craze, out pick from Alydar Stables was running to their inside. The trailers would be Ice Cream Truck (First Street Stables), French Box (Threshold), and Grand Dragonville (Smokey Stover).

(½ Mile- :46.50)- Rounding the first turn, Cest And Me runs hard for a bit to be able to move over the inside, and starts to open up. At a half mile, the lead is about a mile and a half, as she looks sharp out on the front end. They are three wide behind her, and Summer Beauty is another one that has been stuck with a wide trip here in the early going, as she is to the outside of both Boaty McBoatface and Influential Tech. Na Pali continues to patiently wait for her time to strike, running a little less then three lengths off the lead, and situating herself right between Diluted and Artifical. Mademoiselle was near this group, just like she had been before. Further back, we are not seeing much movement. The eventual second place runner, Grand Dragonville is having a wide trip of her own as she runs in the back of the field, in a four wide position.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- As the field completes the backstretch run, Influential Tech makes a push to take over the top spot from Cest And Me, who at this point, was still in decent shape. As Influential Tech advances, Na Pali could not have been any more thrilled. This left the lane open that had been right in front of her throughout, and as they began to run around the turn, Na Pali would look to follow Influential Tech through. That would be accomplished, but Na Pali had a bigger goal in mind, and made an additional move to prepare for the pass of Influential Tech. Na Pali was outstanding in the turn, as they hit the top of the stretch, her powerful move saw her pull even with Influential Tech for the race lead. That quickly, a gap of three lengths was erased. Neither Boaty McBoatface or Summer Beauty were able to put a move on, and as the run around the turn progressed, Cest And Me started getting leg weary. Moving into a five wide position for the stretch would be Mademoiselle, as she also was waiting for her time to strike. She seemed to be in a good position here. Diluted was making a more gradual advance, but also seemed to be in a great spot. A length back, a five wide wall was setting up behind them, and it would just be a matter of which won had the strongest run. Grand Dragonville was about seven wide here.

(Finish- 1:33.27)- In the stretch, it was all about Na Pali. This filly had pulled away from the field, and there was going to be no catching her. She ran perfectly today, and scores the two length win. Behind her, we had a cluster of horses, and with a furlong to go there would have been about a 10-way photo. On the outside, Grand Dragonville was charging hard, and Mademoiselle had really drifted out instead of just maintaining her lane. Grand Dragonville gets the second position, over a charging Call Craze, who had emerged from the back very late after not being much of a factor for much of the race. She defeats Mademoiselle just barely for third, while Ice Cream Truck gets up for fifth. Warmed Up crept through the pack for sixth, and Diluted needed a little more spark in the stretch, but did beat out Influential Tech at the end. Next was Yummy Eggs, who tried to be one of those who charged from the back, but did not have the strength to advance further then ninth. French Box matches his saddlecloth number with his finish, ahead of Artifical who was flat in the stretch. Three of the pacesetters, Cest And Me, Boaty McBoatface, and Summer Beauty, finish out the field.

About The Winner- Na Pali, trained by Smokey Stover, and ridden to victory by L H Colon, is a two year old filly by Connectivity, and is out of So Chai. She was bred in New Jersey by Smokey Stover as a first quarter two year old, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her third in four starts, and her second graded win. Her career earnings are now $780.600.

Horse Name

Owner Name

Jockey

Odds

Fin

Time

SRF

Na Pali

Smokey Stover

Colon L H

4.85

1²