September 20, 2016
The Grade I Test has proven to be a key race since the winner came back to score a Grade II at PID and the fifth-place finisher came back to take the Grade I Ballerina and on Saturday, a three winner came out of the race when Fleeting Affair got up in the final jump to score the Grade III CT Oaks. One of only four foals to date from Shes A Whiner, she is now a three-time stakes winner with more than $500.000 in career earnings and could be a huge force in the F&M Sprint division if she continued to make progress from off the pace, like she did around the tight turns at CT.
It is unusual to see a seven-furlong race around two-turns at a major track but the CT oval is configured like a bull ring and Broom Line (15.50) knew that she needed to spring from the gate if she wanted to save any kind of ground, and that is exactly what she did. You Little Beauty (2.65) was not so lucky and was wide into the first turn as the clumped field motored through the first quarter-mile in 22.91, with three groups of three emerging and Thats Mean (5.75) wide in last after breaking slowly. The battle was certainly on into the backstretch as You Little Beauty engaged Broom Line along the rail with Here Comes Trouble (19.30) between them and as the backfield lay in wait, it was only a matter of time before lanes opened up for those with the best late momentum. The half-mile time of 45.64 was mighty quick and it started to crack the outside runners but Broom Line held her own along the fence and was strong with two-furlongs to run, with Fleeting Affair (11.75) looking for a path inside of Fight Song (7.40). As You Little Beauty and Here Comes Trouble tired and ultimately shifted out, the two-path opened up for Fleeting Spirit and she burst on through, taking dead aim at the leader through six-furlongs in 1:09.40. The rest of the field fanned seven-wide into the short stretch as everyone sprinted for the line but the top two were well clear and in the last jump, Fleeting Affair was able to nab the victory from Broom Line, with the latter losing nothing but a bigger cheque in defeat. Zenna The Ruler (21.05) came outside of the winner to finish a game third from Command And Conquer (128.35), who was between rivals and lacked running room, while Fight Song came wide but had no late gains on the top finishers. Here Comes Trouble finished evenly, Poison Jane (5.75) and Thats Mean were wide into the lane and both City Bus (*2.05) and You Little Beauty finished up the tracks as the top choices, making this a hodgepodge finish where longshots ruled and favourites faded.
Fleeting Affair was excellent at seven-furlongs earlier this year and overcame a tough run in the Grade I Test to score the Grade II CT Oaks here with a career-best effort that puts her squarely in line for some bigger sprints down the line. The problem is that she does not have enough points for either the BC Distaff or the BC F&M Sprint so she might need to make a start in the Grade II Raven Run if she wants to earn enough to make it to SA with eyes on the best of her division.
Congratulations goes out to owner Mb Stables and their three-year-old filly Fleeting Affair, a last gasp winner of the Grade III CT Oaks!
Prediction City Bus / Broom Line / Zenna The Ruler
Winner Fleeting Affair
Three-year-old gray filly
Shes A Whiner-Hidden Method (Handsome Cross)
Owner Mb Stables
Time 22.91, 45.64, 1:09.40, 1:21.98
Overall
Fleeting Affair 11.75 stalked, found room, just up
Broom Line 15.50 set wicked fractions, clear, missed
Zenna The Ruler 21.05 outside leaders, good late gains
Command And Conquer 128.35 lacked room late
Fight Song 7.40 angled wide, no late momentum
Here Comes Trouble 19.30 faded under pressure
Poison Jane 13.35 no threat
Thats Mean 5.75 broke slow, never factored
City Bus *2.05 outrun
You Little Beauty 2.65 wide run, done into stretch
Triple T Racing 🙂
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
