FILLY & MARE TURF DIARY
MAY 16, 2006
by Kellie Reilly
Two four-year-old fillies have recently stamped themselves as
serious players in the division. The familiar face of MIRABILIS (Lear Fan)
showed a new profile when taking the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. (G3) on the
Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard, while the lightly raced HEAVENLY RANSOM (Red
Ransom) burst onto the graded-stakes scene with an eye-catching victory in the
Wilshire H. (G3) on Hollywood Park’s opening day. Although POMMES FRITES (Dynaformer)
deserves credit for her gritty Beaugay H. (G3) score on Aqueduct’s closing
weekend, I’m more taken with the runner-up NAISSANCE ROYALE (Ire) (Giant’s
Causeway) and sixth-place finisher ANGARA (GB) (Alzao).
Confession: Mirabilis proved me wrong. I thought I had
her pegged as a one-paced animal. In both of her previous American graded stakes
outings, the Bobby Frankel trainee had run respectably but appeared stuck in
second gear, not able to pick up when it counted and having to settle for a
close third to SILVER CUP (Ire) (Almutawakel [GB]) in the Buena Vista H.
(G2) and a well-beaten third behind WEND (Pulpit) in the Jenny Wiley S.
(G2). I have not seen her European races, but the reports I’ve read sound the
same theme. At Churchill, the Juddmonte Farms homebred looked an entirely
different proposition, spurting right away from the field leaving the far turn
while reeling off her seventh furlong in a smart :11 2/5. Her margin was
eventually reduced to just one length at the wire, but the race was effectively
over. The rest were left to scramble for the minor awards, including a
disappointing Wend, who wound up fourth. Wend had been well positioned but never
landed a blow. Perhaps she was a bit flat returning three weeks after the Wiley,
as her races are usually spaced further apart than that, but I’m not one to
second-guess Bill Mott. Whatever the reason, she’s clearly better than she showed
on the day, and Mott will get her back on track.
At the risk of being ludicrously premature, could Heavenly
Ransom be the next Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal)? I can imagine the outcry in
response to my mentioning this newly minted Grade 3 winner in connection with
the long beloved heroine of Southern California, but Heavenly Ransom toyed with
the Wilshire field in only her sixth career start. Loping along contentedly in
last in the six-horse field, the Ray Bell filly circled the field on the far
turn with a minimum of fuss, and after ranging up to the leader in the stretch,
was not extended to best the veteran TICKER TAPE (GB) (Royal Applause
[GB]), a solid yardstick if there ever was one, by three-quarters of a length.
This was a tremendous performance on several levels — her relative
inexperience, the style of her victory, the undoubted class of the runner-up, as
well as the final time of 1:33. Heavenly Ransom got her final furlong in roughly
:11 1/5, as she was a length behind the leader through seven-eighths in 1:21
3/5. In Ticker Tape’s defense, she was carrying three more pounds (119 to 116)
and had to wait for room while her younger rival swept in the clear on the
outside, but the winner was striding smoothly under confident handling, and I
don’t think the outcome would have changed had Ticker Tape commenced her rally
at the same time. Heavenly Ransom only made her career debut last October, she
graduated immediately from that maiden success to score in a small stakes at
Turf Paradise in her second start, and has proceeded through her allowance
conditions en route to the Wilshire. She’s five for six in her career, suffering
her only loss in a January allowance at Santa Anita when she was crying out for
room in deep stretch, boxed hopelessly behind horses and checked late. From the
pedigree trivia department, Heavenly Ransom’s third dam is the
magnificent Sabin (Lyphard), a multiple Grade 1-winning turf distaffer from the
mid-1980s.
Finally, in the 1 1/16-mile Beaugay, Pommes Frites cruised along
on an uncontested lead through an opening half-mile in :49 4/5. The pace picked
up through the third quarter, then the race turned into an all-out sprint for
home, and the improving Mott filly kept on resolutely to prevail by a head over
a late-charging Naissance Royale. In a rematch, however, I’d opt for the
runner-up to turn the tables with a different pace set-up. Despite the winner’s
getting her final sixteenth in a solid :6, Naissance Royale closed nearly all of
the 1 1/2-length gap between them, so she finished in something less than :5 4/5
over a trip that’s on the short side for her. I look for the Christophe Clement
filly, a Grade 2 winner at 1 1/8 miles, to do even better when stepped up in distance. The same can be said for
Grade 1 winner Angara, who didn’t run badly in her seasonal debut for new
trainer Mott. Toting the top weight of 122 pounds and spotting between five and
eight pounds to her foes, Angara traveled well in the early going and was poised
to rally in fourth in the upper stretch but flattened out to sixth. As Mott said
afterward, this was the spot to “get her started.” She plans to reappear in the
Sheepshead Bay H. (G2) over a more congenial 1 3/8 miles on May 27. Naissance
Royale and the ultra-impressive HONEY RYDER (Lasting Approval) are among
a strong group of nominees for that contest, which is shaping up to be a
terrific clash.