Up She Flew Overpowers Rivals In Stretch to Win Ballerina

By Nynl Stables on August 26, 2023

The Ballerina (Grade 1) (BC)- $500.000 Purse
SAR- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
August 26, 2023

Riggins Racing is certainly no stranger to success at the highest levels, but with his barn not being as active as it had been in the past, we have been unable to talk about him winning major races at the same frequency. He’s had plenty of reason to celebrate thus far in his return, and now in the Ballerina, he can do a little dancing as well, because he’s clinched another spot in the BC. Getting the job done here would be a filly by The Sodfather named Up She Flew, a horse that’s been very close to getting a big win while in Riggins silks but finally would have a breakthrough on Saturday with an appealing two length win. The win is the first for the trainer in this race, and the second for jockey L Saez. Congratulations to them! The track condition was sloppy at the Spa, and the winning time was 1:25.85. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :23.10)- The field moves down the backstretch with Wood Duck Stables- trained Flyingbolt prevailing in a group of four horses to be the early leader. She will have a length advantage after a quarter mile, with those other three horses now in a stalking position. Christina G has a nice position on the rail here for Mb Stables, and Smokey Stover’s Matamata is right beside her. On the outside, Not A Big Deal is right there with them for Mb Stables. Behind these horses, we have our eventual winner from Riggins Racing, Up She Flew, running right behind Christina G while on the rail. Asgar’s Fearless Move is right beside her with Ifyerwokeyerajoke running five wide here for TwinTowersRacing. Nearby to them and within a length Dialing (Angelos Stable) and Lady Sammyantha (The Sidley Stud). Last Call (YME Stable) and Oceanus (Wood Duck Stables) are a length behind them in outside lanes, and the trailer is Silver Jazzmin (The Sidley Stud).

(1/2 Mile- :47.41, Top of Stretch- 1.8F To Go)- Flyingbolt remains the race leader at the end of the backstretch and entering the turn. Over the second half of the turn, Christina G begins to make some progress on her and is just a neck behind heading into the stretch. Matamata also began to make some progress on the leader on exit of the turn, though Not A Big Deal remained a length behind while negotiating the outside lane. Meanwhile, there had been a group of horses right behind them if you recall, but only one of them continued to look good while entering the stretch. That would be Up She Flew, and she didn’t have to waver from running on the rail. As Christina G moved forward, Up She Flew would do the same and was now about a length and a half from the leader. There seemed to be enough of opening, too, for her to make a move on Christina G when she was ready to do so. Fearless Move and Lady Sammyantha are next, but neither are really doing much. Neither are Last Call and Oceanus, and Dialing really began to drop out of it. Ifyerwokeyerajoke called it a day, and Silver Jazzmin was still way off the pace.

(Finish- 1:25.85)- Early in the stretch, Up She Flew was able to take advantage of the opening to the inside on Christina G, and she would use that lane to make her own bid for the win as the early frontrunners continued to battle it out. Christina G was doing her best, as was Matamata, and Flyingbolt was hanging in there, too. With a furlong to go, Up She Flew pulled even with those three, and at that point, Riggins Racing had to be happy with the way this had been working out. She seemed to be on the verge of the win, but what I did not expect is for her to run away from those rivals and go on to win this race by two lengths. That was particularly impressive! It ends up being very close for second, as tight three-way photo was examined. In it, Matamata prevailed over Christina G, who got the headbob on Flyingbolt. Not A Big Deal was also in this picture but settles for a frustrating fifth. Lady Sammyantha and Oceanus were even for sixth, followed by Last Call, Fearless Move, Silver Jazzmin, Dialing, and Ifyerwokeyerajoke.

About The Winner- Up She Flew, trained by Riggins Racing and ridden to victory by L Saez, is a three-year-old filly by The Sodfather and is out of Bien. She was bred in California as a second quarter two-year-old by LionKing Stables, and was acquired by Riggins Racing, via Aer Stables, in private sales for $375.000 in March of this year. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fifth in 14 starts, her third stake win and second graded win. Her career earnings are now $843.440.

Horse Name

Owner Name

Jockey

Odds

Fin

Time

SRF

Up She Flew

Riggins Racing

Saez L

5.30

1²