Sassy Image continues Churchill domination in Winning
Colors
by Vance Hanson
Jerry Romans’ Sassy Image capped a memorable month of May for trainer Dale
Romans when getting up in the final strides to take Monday’s $111,600 Winning
Colors S. (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs by a neck at odds of 4-5. The
four-year-old filly kicked off a terrific four weeks for her conditioner when
taking the May 7 Humana Distaff (Grade 1) by three lengths, with stablemates
Shackleford and Paddy O’Prado adding to the stable’s riches on May 21 when
taking the Preakness S. (Grade 1) and Dixie S. (Grade 2), respectively.
In Sassy Image Romans has a filly with an extreme affinity for the Churchill
strip, not a bad thing to have as the Louisville, Kentucky, course is the site
of this year’s Breeders’ Cup. Either the Ladies’ Classic (Grade 1) or Filly &
Mare Sprint (Grade 1) are possibilities for the chestnut, who received a prime
stalk-and-pounce trip to win the Winning Colors in a swift time of 1:08 2/5 for
six furlongs on a fast track. She paid $3.80, $2.60 and $2.40.
Settled in fifth by Corey Lanerie down the backside, Sassy Image enjoyed an
ideal journey as Beat the Blues pressed Starlite Starbrite into submission after
the latter did an opening quarter in :21 2/5. Beat the Blues was on top a
half-length through a :44 3/5 half-mile, and opened up a length with a furlong
to go. However, the early exertion took its toll on Beat the Blues, who was
noticeably leg weary in the final yards and failed to maintain a straight course
in her attempt to resist the favorite. The 10-1 Beat the Blues held second by 4
1/2 lengths over 20-1 chance Fortune Play.
Completing the order of finish was Jocata, Starlite Starbrite, Wind Caper,
Stephanie Got Even, Bell’s Shoes and My New Lady. Indian Ink was scratched.
“We’ll look at a couple different spots for her now,” said Romans of Sassy
Image. “We may go to Saratoga for the (August 27) Ballerina (S. [Grade 1]).
We’ll probably run her in one more sprint and then give her a route race before
the Breeders’ Cup (Ladies’ Classic). We’re going to try and make her a champion
and to get that she’ll probably have to win the (Ladies’ Classic).”
Sassy Image could also be in line for champion female sprinter honors if her
connections reconsider and keep her in one-turn races with an ultimate goal of
the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
Sassy Image took two tries to break her maiden, getting the job done in June
2009 at Churchill by 5 3/4 lengths. She placed in the Adirondack S. (Grade 2)
next out, but wouldn’t come close to the top three again until returning under
the Twin Spires in November 2009. The chestnut miss recorded a pair of victories
in the Pocahontas S. (Grade 3) and Golden Rod S. (Grade 2) at Churchill, then
made her sophomore debut a winning one last year at Gulfstream Park, taking the
Sweetest Chant S.
The Kentucky-bred lass was sidelined following a fifth-place run in the
Davona Dale S. (Grade 2) in February, and didn’t reappear until finishing second
against allowance/optional claiming rivals at Gulfstream on January 14. She
trailed a field of seven in the Sabin S. (Grade 3) in her next start, but
rebounded to upset the Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Her
record now stands at 13-6-2-1, $598,781.
Bred by J C Davis Farm Inc., Sassy Image brought $42,000 as a Keeneland
September yearling. She is out of the Hennessy mare Ideal Image, who has since
produced the unraced juvenile filly Ayita. Ideal Image is herself a daughter of
the stakes-placed Amore Cielo, making her a half-sister to stakes victor Dynaman,
1999 St Leger S. (Group 1) third Adair and Grade 3 runner-up Cyclorama. Sassy
Image’s third dam is Header Card, queen of the 1981 Oak Leaf S. (Grade 1).
This is the same family as Bellotto, who ran second in the 1987 Two Thousand
Guineas (Group 1) and third in that year’s Derby (Group 1); multiple Grade
2-winning sire Intidab; Grade 2-placed stakes-scoring sire Repriced; and dual
Grade 2 heroine Top Rung.