By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON,
KY—Sent the 1-5 favorite, Ramona Hill sat second through the mile before
tipping from the pocket and striding to a 1:52.4 victory under a hand drive in
the final of four divisions for the $330,000 Norman Woolworth Memorial
Bluegrass Stakes on Friday, Sept. 27.
Panem
pushed for the front moving to a :28 opening quarter with Ramona Hill floating
into the pocket. Madame Sherry sat third up the backstretch as the field raced
single file towards a :55.4 half. Ramona Hill then edged from the pocket
passing three-quarters in 1:24.4 and lunged to the lead through the stretch as
Madame Sherry gave chase in second and Panem settled for third.
“We
trained the mare, Lock Down Lindy, and this filly had a very similar frame to
Lock Down Lindy, but she was an end-of-May foal so she was very immature at the
sale but had a great look to her,” trainer Tony Alagna said after the race on
purchasing Ramona Hill for $70,000 at the Lexington Yearling Sale last fall.
“Knowing how fast the mare was, I thought I’d take a shot at that number.
“I
didn’t stake her to the [Jim] Doherty at the Meadowlands because she was a late
foal and I told the partnership that I think this filly’s special, but I don’t
want to push her early because I want to make sure we have a great
three-year-old. That’s what we’ve done by design and so far she’s paying us
off.”
Co-owned
by breeder Crawford Farms with Brad Grant, Robert LeBlanc and In The Gym
Partners, Ramona Hill has won in all four of her starts, earning $66,000.
Andrew McCarthy drove the $2.40 winner.
Shishito
took the lead early and strode to a 1:53 victory in the opening division of the
Bluegrass filly trot.
Dune
Hill dashed to the front moving to a :28 first quarter before yielding command
to even-money favorite Shishito moving to the backside. Second-betting choice
Senorita Rita angled first over from fifth passing a :56 half and ranged
towards the pacesetter nearing three-quarters in 1:24.3. Senorita Rita
continued to dig into Shishito through the stretch but could only manage second
while Dune Hill gave pursuit from third.
Bred
by Diamond Creek Farm LLC and owned by Black Horse Racing and John Fielding, Shishito
won her fourth race from eight starts, earning $222,776. Dexter Dunn drove the
$4.00 winner for trainer Per Engblom.
Common
Sense S handed 1-2 favorite Sister Sledge her first loss when wining the second
Bluegrass split.
Trainer-driver
Ake Svanstedt snagged the pocket with Common Sense S while Hello Tomorrow led
the field to a :28.1 first quarter. Sister Sledge slid first over from fourth
passing a :56.2 half and drew alongside Hello Tomorrow approaching
three-quarters in 1:25.2. Hello Tomorrow kept Sister Sledge at bay through the
lane but drifted from the pylons enough to create a seam for Common Sense S to
shoot through late in the mile to win in 1:53.3. Sister Sledge settled for
third.
“I
bought her in Sweden on a sale,” Svanstedt said after the race. “It was because
I trained her mother and grandmother and they were very successful—they made
around a half- to two-million Swedish kronas. [Coming from the small tracks],
it’s good for them to come here and stretch out here on the big track.”
Co-owned
by Ake Svanstedt Inc. with S R F Stable, Common Sense S won her fifth race from
nine starts, earning $122,600. The Menhammer Stuteri Ab-bred Trixton filly paid
$12.20 to win.
Love
A Good Story surged past 3-5 favorite Ms Savannah Belle late in the stretch to
take the third Bluegrass split.
In
control through a :28.1 first quarter, Love A Good Story settled for the pocket
past a :55.4 half after Ms Savannah Belle pushed first over for the front
nearing the final turn. Seventimesalady floated first over approaching
three-quarters in 1:26 but forced Love A Good Story to pop pocket heading for
the top of the stretch. Seventimesalady lost ground and gave chase as Love A
Good Story and Ms Savannah Belle matched strides towards the finish, with the
favorite giving way in the final sixteenth to the Julie Miller-trained Chapter
Seven filly in a 1:52.2 mile.
Winning
her seventh race from nine starts, Love A Good Story—bred by Celebrity
Farms—has earned $216,187 for owners Pinske Stables, Kentuckiana Racing Stable
and Daniel Plouffe. Andy Miller piloted the $17.80 winner.
Each
division of the Norman Woolworth Memorial was sponsored by Arden Homestead
Stables, Et Gerry & Peter Gerry, Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg, Stoner Manor
Inc., Menhammar Stuteri Ab, Jorgen Jahre Jr., LST Stables and Lawrence S.
Devan.
Grand
Circuit action resumes at The Red Mile on Saturday, Sept. 28 with four
divisions of the $324,800 Bluegrass Two-Year-Old Colt Pace and a single
$163,100 Bluegrass division for three-year-old pacing fillies. Racing gets
underway with first-race post at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
