May 3, 2015
All of the pre-race hype for this past weekend surrounded the Grade I KYD but on Friday afternoon, the best fillies in the land took to the CD oval for the Grade I KY Oaks and the dramatic finish was exactly what the doctor ordered as not one, but two three-year-olds proved their might as the best in the land with a dead-heat finish for victory. Broomsticks N Booty, a three-year-old daughter of Broomstick Nebraska who incidentally, produced Grade I BC Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Broomsticks Copy in the same crop, had the race won in the final jump before The Reaper, Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and BC Juvenile Fillies winner, came with a dramatic thrust to score as well with a nostril on the line in a stakes-record time of 1:48.39, good enough for a modest 95-speed rating but a victory nonetheless in one of the most important races of the year to date.
Fourteen horses and only one-furlong into the first turn does not leave a whole lot of room for error in the first few strides and both Lovely Rosa (10.25) and Sweep The Ash (18.25) broke sharply enough to secure their early spot and stay out of traffic trouble into the first turn. Laffin In Texas (9.35) got a great spot in between rivals while Wildstile (13.40) was forced to expend a ton of energy from her wide post to get into an early placing and around the first turn, those four lined up to take the field of 14 into the backstretch. Lovely Rosa quickly asserted herself as the leader with Broomsticks N Booty (13.50) coming up from her rail position to make some minor gains and as the huge field moved to the far side, The Clash (13.75) came with a sweeping rush from her outside gate to engage the leader. Those two battled through the opening split of 47.57 with Wildstile and Broomsticks N Booty tucked nicely in behind and as The Clash inched out ever so slightly, it left enough room for both of the stalkers to get into better positions but it also left a little more room inside for Laffin In Texas and she inched forward as well to get into her striking spot. Lovely Rosa was left on the lead through six-furlongs in 1:11.26 as The Clash started to back away but Broomsticks N Booty made her move with Wildstile as Sweep The Ash stalled and at the top of the lane, the stage was set for a dramatic run to the wire. Lovely Rosa was full throttle to hold off her two challengers but could not as Broomsticks N Booty took the lead and when Wildstile angled into the four-wide path, Laffin In Texas burst through with a length to make up on the front. With a furlong to go, it was seemingly down to two horses with Broomsticks N Booty trying to hold off the challenge of Laffin In Texas but out of the shadows came The Reaper (5.85) and for only the second time in HRP history, a Two-Year-Old Filly Champion proved best in the KY Oaks, albeit in a dead-heat victory with the gutsy Broomsticks N Booty. In a true blanket finish, the heartbreak Laffin In Texas suffered was palpable as the FG Oaks winner came within a whisker of winning but wound up getting nosed out by two rivals, while beating her stablemate Wildstile by a nose herself. Shimoon Kruz (11.95) came with a rush outside to finish fifth while favourite Team Nebraska (*3.80) got caught behind rivals and could not get going enough late to finish better than sixth, ahead of a tiring Lovely Rosa along the rail. Sweep The Ash raced wide throughout while Marshed (60.95) raced evenly inside and beat home The Clash, who tired out wide. The well-regarded Athenas Wish (7.00) never really got going, Dont Freak Out (37.50) raced outside of rivals the entire way, highly touted Miss Phooey Beech (9.00) looked dismal from her wide draw and Hellonheels (26.30) raced along the rail the entire way but never got motivated and wound up last in the huge field, beaten just over six-lengths.
Broomsticks N Booty qualified for the KY Oaks with some good efforts as a juvenile and a solid win in the Grade III Honeybee but she ran the race of her life to score a joint win on Friday afternoon in the biggest test of her career and in the process, ran champion The Reaper into the record books when she came up in the late jump to nail a co-win as well. For the latter, it was a return to form after a huge purchase by her current connections and now, with two of the biggest wins of her career under her belt, she can proceed to races like the Grade I Acorn and the Grade I Mother Goose with huge confidence behind her.
Congratulations goes out to owner Drabfantasy and their three-year-old filly Broomsticks N Booty, and to owner Hawaiian Shirt Guy and their three-year-old filly The Reaper, winners of the Grade I KY Oaks at CD!
Prediction Miss Phooey Beech / Team Nebraska / Athenas Wish
Winners Broomsticks N Booty
Three-year-old bay filly
Broomstick Nebraska-Bootyism (Home Of The Brave)
The Reaper
Three-year-old bay filly
Holly Summer-Irish Lucky (Celtic)
Owners Drabfantasy & Hawaiian Shirt Guy
Time 47.57, 1:11.26, 1:35.64, 1:48.39 (NTS)
Overall
Broomsticks N Booty (DH) 13.50 inside trip, angled clear, caught late
The Reaper (DH) 5.85 behind rivals, drove home, up in time
Laffin In Texas 9.35 stalked, pounced, just missed
Wildstile 13.40 outside stablemate throughout, even finish
Shimoon Kruz 11.95 powerful late rally
Team Nebraska *3.80 inside trip, mild rally
Lovely Rosa 10.25 set pace, weakened only late
Sweep The Ash 18.25 wide throughout
Marshed 60.95 ran to odds
The Clash 13.75 pressed early, faded
Athenas Wish 7.00 never involved
Dont Freak Out 37.50 no factor
Miss Phooey Beech 9.00 broke poorly
Hellonheels 26.30 last from start
Triple T Racing 🙂
Categories: Grade I
