The NY- Grade 2 ($750.000 Purse)
BEL- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Quarter on the Inner Turf
June 4, 2021

Forbidden Blush came into The NY having won her last five starts. Now, we can make that six, as this filly by Good Authority continues to advance her career and picks up her signature win. When she started near the back of the field, it may have seemed like this traditional pace setter was going to be in trouble, but she would be able to make the passes she needed to and ends up winning this race by a length. Smokey Stover is the winning trainer, and along for the ride was Mario Gutierrez. It is the first win in The NY for each of them! Congratulations! The race was run in a time of 1:58.69, which is the third fastest winning time in the race’s history. Let’s take a look!

(½ Mile- :47.95)- Number Nine is quick out of the gate and leads the field down the frontstretch the first time for Spankys Barn, but she would ultimately be passed by Quest For Fame, from Rheingold Stable, as they moved around the turn leading to the backstretch. That one now led by a length, and moving into second along the rail would be the D J C Racing Stables’ entry, Intanga Rose. Number Nine is third, with Deep Atonement in close proximity on the outside for Nakamura Stables. Behind the front four, All By Myself (TwinTowersRacing) has half a length on those along each side of her. They would be Sweetness (High Voltage), and our eventual winner from Smokey Stover, Forbidden Blush. Last year’s winner, Maggie Greene (The Sidley Stud) was sluggish out of the gate, and ran at the back with Hallowed Halls (Rock Creek).

(¾ Mile- 1:11.28)- Quest For Fame moves quickly down the backstretch, and maintains her half length advantage on Intanga Rose still to her inside. The new third place horse is All By Myself, who advanced her position just enough while maintaining a steady stride in the third lane, moving to the inside of both Number Nine and Deep Atonement. Sweetness is nearby in the sixth position. It was another length now to Forbidden Blush, and Mario Gutierrez looked to be considering a six wide move in the backstretch before thinking better of it and tucked his ride in behind Number Nine. Further back, Maggie Greene and Hallowed Halls watched it all unfold in front of them.

(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- At the front, Intanga Rose is the new leader, showing more energy than Quest For Fame in the turn, but there were challengers coming. Both Sweetness and All By Myself handled the turn very well, with Sweetness being able to hold her lane in the third lane and pull to the outside of Quest For Fame. She was a little quicker than All By Myself, but that one also moved up within the turn. Meanwhile, Forbidden Blush would have no choice now but to make a wide move, and would have to go five wide in order to get those in front of her. It could be fair to say that she was in unfamiliar territory here as it is not her style to have to make this kind of move in the stretch. Maggie Greene was moving forward somewhat, but needed to show a lot more. The others were quickly becoming non factors.

(Finish- 1:58.69)- Forbidden Blush absolutely exploded with run at the top of stretch, and almost immediately she was even with the four in front of her. With a little less than a furlong to go, she had taken over the lead, and with no one else coming forward from behind quickly, the race was in the bag for her. She wins while pulling away, and extends her winning streak to six! Sweetness nabs second from Intanga Rose in the final strides, but both were beaten by a length. All By Myself is fourth, then Quest For Fame and Maggie Greene. Hallowed Halls, Deep Atonement, and the highly disappointing Number Nine round it out.

About The Winner- Forbidden Blush, trained by Smokey Stover and ridden to victory by Mario Gutierrez, is a four year old filly by Good Authority, and is out of Kamama. She was bred in New York as a third quarter two year old by Smokey Stover, the only trainer for which she has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her seventh in 12 starts, and her third stake win, all of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $734.750.

Track: Firm
Time: :47⁴  1:11¹  1:34³  1:58³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 7 – 5 Paid 114.90
$1 Trifecta: 7 – 5 – 3 Paid 1,379.60

Scratched: Too Scared To Party

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES