Brereton C. Jones’ PROUD SPELL (Proud Citizen) got her rematch with Mother
“At the top of the stretch, I knew it was going to be the horse race that we
Music Note’s stablemate Little Belle (A.P. Indy) showed to the front when the
Music Note was on the move on the outside by this time as well, and Little
|
“This filly of ours has never been passed down the stretch the entire time
we’ve had her, she’s never been passed,” Jones said. “I told Gabriel, ‘Do not
let Music Note in front. I don’t care if you have to ride her all the way to the
barn area, down Nelson Avenue, or what, she don’t get in front.’ Because if you
come up to (Proud Spell) and eyeball her, you won’t beat her. As soon as Music
Note got to her, the race was on, and she dug in and found a way to out-gut
her.”
“It was a great race,” admitted Music Note’s conditioner, Saeed bin Suroor.
“Our filly ran a big race; we’re happy with the way she finished the race. It
was so close; it was a tough race. She was behind all the way in a nice
position. I talked to the jockey (Castellano) and he was really happy with the
racetrack and she was traveling very well. He said that the last two furlongs,
when he started to ask her, that’s when she gave everything. We’ll see how she
comes back after the race. Maybe we’ll take her to Belmont.”
Proud Spell was sent off the near 2-1 second choice and rewarded her faithful
backers with payouts of $5.90 and $2.60 after show wagering was canceled. Music
Note was 4 1/2 lengths in front of third-placer Little Belle on the wire, and
the pair paid $2.10 each while coupled in the wagering. The 2-1 exacta was worth
$7.90. Following those three under the wire were Mushka (Empire Maker) and Sweet
Vendetta (Stephen Got Even) after Skylighter (Sky Mesa) was scratched.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt she’s the leading three-year-old filly,”
Jones said. “This filly has been around all year. Don’t get me wrong, Music Note
is a very nice filly. But this filly has been here all year. She showed up for
the Kentucky Oaks, she’s still around for the Alabama, she won the $500,000
Delaware Oaks (G2)…in my mind, there’s no doubt she’s the best three-year-old
filly in the country and hopefully we showed it here today.”
Proud Spell broke her maiden by a half-length at Delaware Park before taking
that track’s White Clay Creek S. She successfully moved up to face graded rivals
in her next start, adding the Matron S. (G2) to her line, before running second
to eventual champion Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie) in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies (G1) to end her juvenile campaign. The bay lass started 2008
with another runner-up effort to that same rival in the Silverbulletday S. (G3),
but returned to the winner’s circle next out in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2).
Proud Spell didn’t seem to take to the Polytrack in the Ashland S. (G1), which
was won by Little Belle, but immediately stepped back up to scored in the
Kentucky Oaks on May 2.
Proud Spell first met up with Music Note after the Kentucky Oaks,
encountering enough trouble to have her finishing last in the Mother Goose but
rallying in the stretch to take second before being disqualified to third for
interference in the lane. Jones wheeled her back just two weeks later in the
Delaware Oaks, and the game lass justified the decision with a three-quarters of
a length score. With this one, Proud Spell added yet another prestigious win to
her line, which now stands at 11-7-2-2, $1,975,110.
The Kentucky-bred Proud Spell is out of the mare Pacific Spell (Langfuhr), a
winner in two of 16 starts. Pacific Spell has produced one other winner, Lucky
Roulette, a gelded son of Mazel Trick. The 11-year-old mare also has an unnamed
two-year-old colt by Canadian Frontier, an unnamed yearling colt by Friends Lake
and a 2008 colt by Forest Grove. Proud Spell is from the same family as 1989
Santa Anita Oaks (G1) winner and Kentucky Oaks runner-up Imaginary Lady (Marfa).