By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON,
KY— After finishing third in the first heat, Ice Attraction stalked a contested
pace, weaving into contention late to overtake stretch-leader and 1-9 favorite
Ariana G to win the $168,000 final of the Kentucky Filly Futurity at odds of
29-1 in 1:54.2.
Elimination
one went to Ariana G, strolling to a 1:54.4 victory over finalists Highland Top
Hill, Ice Attraction, Sunshine Delight, and Sianna Hanover.
Floating
away second as Highland Top Hill asserted herself to the top, Ariana G brushed
towards the lead following a :29.3 opening quarter, then progressing to a :57.3
half before experiencing minor pressure from Sunshine Delight around the final
turn. Passing three-quarters in 1:27, Ariana G turned into the stretch
maintaining control under a hand drive, while Highland Top Hill chased at the
rail and Sunshine Delight wide of her.
Her
20th win in 24 starts, Ariana G, by Muscle Hill from the Cantab Hall
mare Cantab It All, has earned $1,575,657 for owners and breeders Marvin Katz
and Al Libfeld. Trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by Yannick Gingras, she paid
$2.10 to win.
Dream
Together was victorious in the second elimination, winning in 1:54 off a pocket
trip over finalists Thats All Moni, Treviso, Cool Cates, and Dream Baby Dream.
Grabbing
the front in :29, Dream Together yielded to a backside rush from Thats All
Moni, who cleared the lead after a :57.2 half. Dream Baby Dream, tracking her
two-wide move, advanced uncovered around the final turn, applying first-over
pressure to Thats All Moni in 1:25 before ultimately faltering in the stretch.
Thats All Moni, drifting off the rail, created a seam for Dream Together to
fire through into the eighth pole, and Dream Together rushed up the cones to
win.
By
Muscle Hill out of the Andover Hall mare Danae, Dream Together, winning her
seventh race in 18 starts, competes for owner Determination Inc. and trainer
Luc Blais. Earning $292,399, the $7.20 winner was driven by Daniel Dube.
In
the final heat, Treviso launched to the front, setting a :29.3 quarter before
settling for the pocket as Dream Together took over to set a :57.1 half. Ariana
G, hesitant to start her first-over bid, committed uncovered from fourth moving
into the final turn, marching towards the leader and soon matching strides with
her at three-quarters in 1:25.2.
Dream
Together fought at the inside but Ariana G maintained the front in the stretch.
Ice Attraction, sitting at the rail, chased the duo until the eighth pole, when
trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt angled her towards the center of the track to
weave between Dream Baby Dream, rallying from off cover, and
Ariana G to
narrowly take the 52nd renewal of the Filly Futurity.
Owned
by Ake Svanstedt, Douglass Sipple, Mal and Janet Burroughs, and Little E LLC,
Ice Attraction, by Muscle Hill from the Conway Hall mare The Ice Queen, won her
eighth race in 24 starts, compiling $297,772 in earnings. She paid $61.40 to
win.
“I’m
shocked to tell you the truth,” co-owner Jeff Gural said. “Almost as shocked
when we sold that horse for $480,000 [at the Lexington-Selected Sale]. Ake’s
been high on this filly—she got sick, and I was kind of hoping I would get up
for second, then, all of a sudden, I realized that she won. It’s been a great
week for me; I’ve been coming here a long time, but I’ve never had a week like
this.”
