Emollient Runs Away From Ashland Rivals
Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Emollient overcame the outside No. 13 post position and cruised to a front-running nine-length victory over Tuttipaesi (IRE) in the 76th running of the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) before a sun-drenched crowd of 32,564 on Saturday at Keeneland. The attendance is the sixth highest all-time mark in track history.
Emollient, who finished a distant fifth behind Dreaming of Julia in last Saturday’s Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), rebounded to give Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his first Central Bank Ashland victory and became the third Ashland victory for Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith. Smith also won the race in 1994 on Inside Information and in 1997 on Glitter Woman.
Emollient won the race to the first turn and quickly moved to the rail while opening a daylight advantage before the field reached the backstretch. Receiving no pressure at all, Emollient cut out fractions of :23.75, :48.12 and 1:13.13 before completing the 1 1/16 miles on the main track in 1:43.49. The margin of victory was the fourth largest in the race’s history, a mark bettered only by Myrtlewood (12 lengths in 1936), Sis City (10½ lengths in 2005) and Princess Rooney (9 ½ lengths in 1983.
The victory, worth 100 points toward the $1 million Kentucky Oaks to be run May 3 at Churchill Downs, assured Emollient of a spot in the starting gate for the 139th running of that race.
A Kentucky-bred daughter of Empire Maker out of the Touch Gold mare Soothing Touch, Emollient added $300,000 to her bankroll and increased her earnings to $441,900 with a record of 6-3-2-0.
Emollient returned $14.40, $8.40 and $5.80. Tuttipaesi, ridden by Alan Garcia, returned $5.80 and $4.40 in finishing 1¼ lengths in front of Kitten’s Point, who paid $5.20 to show under Edgar Prado.
Wave Theory finished a nose back in fourth and was followed in order by Kitten’s Dumplings, Nipissing, Broken Spell, Spring Venture, favored Spring in the Air, Allanah, Private Ensign, Redressthebalance (IRE) and Every Way.