Don’t Tell Sophia Powers Home in Spinster

 

A one-time $1,000 Keeneland sale purchase, Don’t Tell Sophia has graduated into Grade 1 company and secured an all-expensive-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff with a huge score in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster for fillies and mares on Sunday at Keeneland.

 

Multiple Grade 1-winner and 1-5 favorite Close Hatches took to the front with Ria Antonia close behind. Shuruq, Molly Morgan and Got Lucky kept just off of the pace. In dramatic-closer fashion, Don’t Tell Sophia trailed the pack by as much as five lengths, and the leaders by more than a dozen, in the backstretch.

 

Under jockey Joe Rocco Jr., Don’t Tell Sophia moved off of her rail position ahead of the final turn and began to roll with three-eighths remaining. The mare traveled three- to four-wide through the turn and erupted into the stretch. 

 

Ria Antonia, ridden by Paco Lopez, had shaken free of Close Hatches by the quarter-pole but posed no threat to Don’t Tell Sophia barreling down the middle of the lane who drew off to a 2 ¼-length victory. Molly Morgan finished third and Close Hatches held on for fourth. Got Lucky and Shuruq completed the order of finish.

 

Don’t Tell Sophia stopped the clock for 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.80. 

 

The winner paid $13.40 to win, $7.00 to place and $14.60 to show (due to heavy wagering on Close Hatches).

 

Don’t Tell Sophia drifted to the inside in the stretch run in front of Ria Antonia and survived a rider objection from Lopez to keep the win.

 

Owned in partnership by her trainer Philip Sims and Jerry Namy, the 6-year-old daughter of Congaree was bred in Kentucky by Stonerside Stable. Don’t Tell Sophia has a lifetime record of 11 wins, four seconds and three thirds from 22 starts. The winner’s share of the Spinster purse pushes the mare’s earnings to nearly $1 million.

 

Source: Keeneland