Ventura beats males again, sets herself up for Breeders Cup defense
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from Brisnet:
Producing her trademark burst of speed in the stretch, Juddmonte Farms' homebred VENTURA (Chester House) blazed her way into the record book as the first female winner of the $954,742 Woodbine Mile (Can-G1) on Sunday. Runner-up in this event last year on unfavorably yielding ground, the Bobby Frankel mare relished the firm turf this time to rattle off the mile in a stakes record 1:32.04, just off the course record of 1:31.84.
"Definitely, the soft ground hurt her chances (last year)," regular rider Garrett Gomez said. "She's got such a beautiful turn of foot, and on the soft ground she was not able to show that explosive move like you saw today. It takes away from her a little bit.
"To come off a (five-month) layoff, and to do what she did today, she is a tremendous mare.
"You don't worry with Bobby (about a horse's fitness)," Gomez added. "He does a tremendous job, and he knows this filly like the back of his own hand. She was off for a while, but you could see she was feeling her oats and had those pre-race nerves. But I got her calmed down and after that, she settled in."
Ventura was confidently handled by Gomez, who allowed her to settle in ninth in the 10-horse field. A pace battle ensued on the front end, with Grand Adventure (Grand Slam) winging his way through splits of :23 2/5, :46 and 1:09. Defending champion Rahy's Attorney (Crown Attorney) and Jungle Wave (Hold That Tiger) were in hot pursuit, and they forced the issue all the way to the top of the stretch.
By that point, Jungle Wave put his head in front, but his advantage was short-lived. Southern California invader Ferneley (Ire) (Ishiguru) was barreling between his Canadian-based rivals, but even more ominously, Ventura was just beginning to rev up on the outside. The high-class mare rapidly outkicked Ferneley and maintained a safe, one-length margin while much the best.
"She did everything so well," Gomez said. "I didn't really have to get into her so hard. I squeezed her, but I didn't even use the whip on her today, to encourage her any more than what she was doing. She went by so fast, and she did it quite impressively."
"Great credit to Bobby and all the crew for having her ready off her layoff," said Garrett O'Rourke, the Juddmonte Farm manager. "She is one of his very favorites, she is a super mare, she is so full of spit and vinegar, and she came here today, and went one better than (last year). The ground definitely made a difference today. She's got a fantastic turn of foot, and Garrett rode her perfectly."
Sent off as the slight second choice at 2-1, Ventura returned $6.20, $3.30 and $3.20. Ferneley was himself three lengths clear in a fine performance, paying $5.80 and $4.30 as the third choice at 6-1. The exactor was good for $43.20. Sterwins (Runaway Groom), who was last through the first six furlongs, finished well to grab third in a three-way photo. The 9-1 shot yielded $4.20 and concluded the $239.30 triactor. Jungle Wave stayed on bravely for fourth at 15-1, and the 9-3-2-10 superfecta swelled to $1,739.70.
Bribon (Fr) (Mark of Esteem [Ire]), the 2-1 favorite, was fifth virtually throughout and held that spot at the wire, missing third by two noses. Field Commission (Service Stripe) wound up sixth, trailed by Rahy's Attorney, Sand Cove (Bold Executive), Grand Adventure and Barbados shipper Daylight Express (Seeking Daylight).
Ventura's sixth stakes score advanced her record to 19-9-7-1 and pushed her bankroll to $2,221,755. Victorious in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Just a Game S. (G1) and Madison S. (G2), she added the Santa Monica H. (G1) to her resume early this season. Her past two efforts resulted in agonizing losses in the shadow of the wire. Just gunned down by male divisional leader Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) two back, Ventura was last seen being collared by Informed Decision (Monarchos) in the Madison S. (G1) on Keeneland's Polytrack.
The Kentucky-bred Ventura was first campaigned in England, breaking her maiden in her second start before competing in handicaps with mixed success. She then switched to the Polytrack at Kempton, where she broke through with her first stakes coup in the Hyde S. at the expense of males. That booked her ticket to the United States. The versatile five-year-old, who is equally adept on turf and synthetic, has also placed in the 2008 CashCall Mile Invitational (G2) and Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G3).
Ventura was produced by the multiple French stakes-placed Estala (GB) (Be My Guest), who is herself a half-sister to English Group 3 warrior Vortex (GB) (Danehill); French stakes victress and classic-placed Erudite (Generous); and French Group 3 queens Prove (Danehill) and Danefair (Danehill), the latter the dam of multiple English Group 3 winner Trade Fair (GB) (Zafonic). Ventura's third dam is Cairn Rouge (Ire) (Pitcairn), heroine of the Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) and Champion S. (Eng-G1) in 1980.
O'Rourke indicated that a title defense in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, back at Santa Anita on November 6, is in the cards.
"The plan was always to go back in to try to win a second filly sprint, and obviously we will sit down and discuss that," O'Rourke said. "I think that they will have to bring their running shoes to try to beat her on that same race. She loves that track."
Producing her trademark burst of speed in the stretch, Juddmonte Farms' homebred VENTURA (Chester House) blazed her way into the record book as the first female winner of the $954,742 Woodbine Mile (Can-G1) on Sunday. Runner-up in this event last year on unfavorably yielding ground, the Bobby Frankel mare relished the firm turf this time to rattle off the mile in a stakes record 1:32.04, just off the course record of 1:31.84.
"Definitely, the soft ground hurt her chances (last year)," regular rider Garrett Gomez said. "She's got such a beautiful turn of foot, and on the soft ground she was not able to show that explosive move like you saw today. It takes away from her a little bit.
"To come off a (five-month) layoff, and to do what she did today, she is a tremendous mare.
"You don't worry with Bobby (about a horse's fitness)," Gomez added. "He does a tremendous job, and he knows this filly like the back of his own hand. She was off for a while, but you could see she was feeling her oats and had those pre-race nerves. But I got her calmed down and after that, she settled in."
Ventura was confidently handled by Gomez, who allowed her to settle in ninth in the 10-horse field. A pace battle ensued on the front end, with Grand Adventure (Grand Slam) winging his way through splits of :23 2/5, :46 and 1:09. Defending champion Rahy's Attorney (Crown Attorney) and Jungle Wave (Hold That Tiger) were in hot pursuit, and they forced the issue all the way to the top of the stretch.
By that point, Jungle Wave put his head in front, but his advantage was short-lived. Southern California invader Ferneley (Ire) (Ishiguru) was barreling between his Canadian-based rivals, but even more ominously, Ventura was just beginning to rev up on the outside. The high-class mare rapidly outkicked Ferneley and maintained a safe, one-length margin while much the best.
"She did everything so well," Gomez said. "I didn't really have to get into her so hard. I squeezed her, but I didn't even use the whip on her today, to encourage her any more than what she was doing. She went by so fast, and she did it quite impressively."
"Great credit to Bobby and all the crew for having her ready off her layoff," said Garrett O'Rourke, the Juddmonte Farm manager. "She is one of his very favorites, she is a super mare, she is so full of spit and vinegar, and she came here today, and went one better than (last year). The ground definitely made a difference today. She's got a fantastic turn of foot, and Garrett rode her perfectly."
Sent off as the slight second choice at 2-1, Ventura returned $6.20, $3.30 and $3.20. Ferneley was himself three lengths clear in a fine performance, paying $5.80 and $4.30 as the third choice at 6-1. The exactor was good for $43.20. Sterwins (Runaway Groom), who was last through the first six furlongs, finished well to grab third in a three-way photo. The 9-1 shot yielded $4.20 and concluded the $239.30 triactor. Jungle Wave stayed on bravely for fourth at 15-1, and the 9-3-2-10 superfecta swelled to $1,739.70.
Bribon (Fr) (Mark of Esteem [Ire]), the 2-1 favorite, was fifth virtually throughout and held that spot at the wire, missing third by two noses. Field Commission (Service Stripe) wound up sixth, trailed by Rahy's Attorney, Sand Cove (Bold Executive), Grand Adventure and Barbados shipper Daylight Express (Seeking Daylight).
Ventura's sixth stakes score advanced her record to 19-9-7-1 and pushed her bankroll to $2,221,755. Victorious in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Just a Game S. (G1) and Madison S. (G2), she added the Santa Monica H. (G1) to her resume early this season. Her past two efforts resulted in agonizing losses in the shadow of the wire. Just gunned down by male divisional leader Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) two back, Ventura was last seen being collared by Informed Decision (Monarchos) in the Madison S. (G1) on Keeneland's Polytrack.
The Kentucky-bred Ventura was first campaigned in England, breaking her maiden in her second start before competing in handicaps with mixed success. She then switched to the Polytrack at Kempton, where she broke through with her first stakes coup in the Hyde S. at the expense of males. That booked her ticket to the United States. The versatile five-year-old, who is equally adept on turf and synthetic, has also placed in the 2008 CashCall Mile Invitational (G2) and Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G3).
Ventura was produced by the multiple French stakes-placed Estala (GB) (Be My Guest), who is herself a half-sister to English Group 3 warrior Vortex (GB) (Danehill); French stakes victress and classic-placed Erudite (Generous); and French Group 3 queens Prove (Danehill) and Danefair (Danehill), the latter the dam of multiple English Group 3 winner Trade Fair (GB) (Zafonic). Ventura's third dam is Cairn Rouge (Ire) (Pitcairn), heroine of the Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) and Champion S. (Eng-G1) in 1980.
O'Rourke indicated that a title defense in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, back at Santa Anita on November 6, is in the cards.
"The plan was always to go back in to try to win a second filly sprint, and obviously we will sit down and discuss that," O'Rourke said. "I think that they will have to bring their running shoes to try to beat her on that same race. She loves that track."