The Demoiselle (Grade 2) (KYO)- $250.000 Purse
AQU- For Fillies Two Years Old
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
December 2, 2023

Despite winning the Grade 1 Frizette in October, Reflex Action struggled a month later in the BC Juvenile Fillies, not beating anyone and losing by six lengths. While it can be discouraging to lose in that manner in the biggest of races, trainer D J C Racing Stables was not going to let it stop him. A month later, he entered his filly here in the Demoiselle at AQU, putting her back on the track that she won the Frizette at. It would prove to be the right call as Reflex Action came from the middle of the pack to get up for the win in time, making her now 3-for-3 in the state of New York. It’s the second win the race for D J C, as he also won in 2020 with Hot Summer. Jockey D E Centeno is a first-time winner. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:48.84, a middle of the road such time for the race. Let’s take a look at it now!

(½ Mile- :47.12)- Around the opening turn, two horses break away from the rest of the field, and it would be Cute Puppies looking good out front for Wood Duck Stables, ahead of the second place I Made A Decision, from Jireh. There are two right behind them, with Aghast running in third for Mb Stables, half a length ahead of longshot Beat Down, from TwinTowersRacing. Purple Charger runs right behind them for Fractious, and then we get to our eventual winner from D J C Racing Stables, Reflex Action, who is content to run in the middle of the field. Be Yourself (Mb Stables) keeps her company on the inside, and running in the three wide position is Commie Queen Party (Martyparty). There’s a gap of two more to Your Next (TwinTowersRacing) and Reaper Lightning (Arkansas Elite). Gormley (Royalty Stables) and Radio Ruffian (TwinTowersRacing).

(3/4 Mile- 1:11.43)- There is not much overall action within the field over the next two furlongs, which consists of finishing the backstretch and entering the turn. The main development here is that I Made A Decision is no longer able to keep up with Cute Puppies and begins his descent through the field. Reflex Action had not made a push as of yet, still running in the sixth spot, but looking to position himself to the outside of Purple Charger. Let’s move forward!

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Cute Puppies continues to lead the field, and really has not seen any of her rivals try to take it away from her. It seems to be a comfortable length and a half at this point, to, if nothing else, get a piece of the purse. Aghast is second but had not put a charge on the leader. Making headway on the outside would be Reflex Action, and the trainer had to be happy to see this going a lot differently than the BC did for his filly. She was even with leg weary I Made A Decision for third but both Beat Down and Purple Charger were trying to hang tough with them. Commie Queen Party was looking to make an outside bid while Your Next had a good lane near the rail. Reaper Lightning was beginning to hit her best stride.

(Finish- 1:48.84)- Cute Puppies would still lead with a furlong to go, but once she reached that point, you could see that she was just trying to hang on and hope for the best. Reflex Action was clearly the best of the rest of the field and being a length ahead of everyone else while being in full stride meant that this race figured to be hers. Sure enough, it would be, but not before the hard charging Reaper Lightning gave it her best shot. Reflex Action prevails by a neck over that one and Your Next had a good stretch run to get third, just ahead of stablemate Radio Ruffian. On the outside, Commie Queen Party is next, then Purple Charger and the tiring Cute Puppies. The rest of the order will read Gormley, Be Yourself, Aghast, Beat Down, and I Made A Decision.

About The Winner- Reflex Action, trained by D J C Racing Stables and ridden by D E Centeno, is a two-year-old filly by Action Man and is out of Bally Useful. She was bred in Kentucky by Diablo Diablo as a first quarter two-year-old and was acquired by D J C with a $35.000 claim in May of this year. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her third in seven starts, and second stake win, each of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $463.660.

Track: Fast
Time: :47   1:11²  1:36²  1:48⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 3 – 11 Paid 95.10
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 11 – 1 Paid 1,447.60

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES