Kentucky Oaks day: Raging Sea upsets Thorpedo Anna
Raging Sea rallied from off the pace to post a three-quarters of a length victory over Taxed in the 40th running of the Grade 1, $1 million La Troienne for fillies and mares Friday afternoon with reigning horse of the year Thorpedo Anna off the board.
Trained by Chad Brown for owner-breeder Alpha Delta Stables and ridden by Flavien Prat, Raging Sea completed the mile and a sixteenth on the main track in 1:42.91.
Randomized won the race to the first turn in which Thorpedo Anna was jostled in between Randomized and Dorth Vader. Randomized opened a clear lead going into the backstretch with Thorpedo Anna tracking in second.
Those two raced that way to the top of the stretch with Randomized kicked clear and Thorpedo Anna started to fade. Randomized maintained her advantage to deep where her stablemate Raging Sea split horses and pulled clear for the victory.
Making her first start since a runner-up finish to Thorpedo Anna in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last fall at Del Mar, Raging Sea is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Curlin out of the Storm Cat mare Stormy Welcome. A winner in eight of 14 starts, Raging Sea now is a two-time Grade 1 winner.
Raging Sea returned $10.08, $4.88 and $4.30. Taxed, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, returned $18.88 and $14.44 and finished a head in front of Randomized who paid $6.24 to show under Joel Rosario.
It was another three-quarters of a length back to Dorth Vader with Free Like a Girl, Literate and Thorpedo Anna following in order.
“I was really looking forward to a little bit of a rematch (from the Breeders’ Cup Distaff) and I was happy that she was able to get up there,” Brown said of Raging Sea. “She's really etched her own solid career and not just a one off sort of horse so consistency over many years now, all the way back her 2-year-old year, so she's really turned into a solid, solid horse that everyone needs to respect. The pace was slower than we anticipated but Flavien (Prat) did a nice job keeping her in striking distance and responded really well down the stretch.”
“She got bounced around a little around the first turn, but then after that, it all cleared up,” jockey Brian Hernandez said about beaten favorite Thorpedo Anna. “We hopped outside of Randomizing and we were having a nice smooth trip from that point, and then at the second turn, when I asked her to go after Randomizing she picked it up a little. Then down the lane, she was just a little tired, and maybe the last race over there at Oaklawn (Apple Blossom) coming back quick today, it took a little steam out of her.”
“It looks like they beat her up going into the first turn. I don't know what that was about. I'm shocked like the rest of us,” Thorpedo Anna's trainer Kenny McPeek said.
She Feels Pretty sets new track record in Modesty win
She Feels Pretty, who capped off her 2024 campaign with two daylight Grade 1 victories, returned to the races in style with a 2 1/4-length victory over Gimme a Nother in the 68th running of the $400,000 Modesty for fillies and mares Friday afternoon.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux for Lael Stables and ridden by John Velazquez, She Feels Pretty completed the 1 1/8-mile distance on firm turf in a course-record 1:45.51. The previous record of 1:45.52 had been established Tuesday by Call Protection.
Segesta and Birdie Rose dueled for the early lead with She Feels Pretty racing in the clear a few lengths back. On the far turn, Velazquez made a three-wide move to collar the leaders and gradually kicked clear in the lane.
A three-time Grade 1 winner and first in six of her nine starts, She Feels Pretty is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Karokontie out of the More Than Ready mare Summer Sweet.
She Feels Pretty returned $3.58, $2.44 and $2.10. Gimme a Nother, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $3.30 and $2.36 and finished a half-length in front of Saffron Moon, who paid $2.34 to show under Flavien Prat.
It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to Segesta with Takemetothebeach and Birdie Rose following in order.
“It’s great to see her back in the winner’s circle again,” DeVaux said. “I gave her some time off to allow her to grow into herself. She’s bigger and stronger. She’s tenacious, she doesn’t want to get beat and she has won from 5 1/2 furlongs to a mile and a quarter. So you know she is special. One of the TV guys said she’s the best turf filly in the United States. I’m biased, but I agree.”
“My job was to keep her covered up early in the race and get her to relax,” Velazquez said. “She got a little aggressive but she switched off. Down the backside, we got in the clear and she took me where I needed to be. She just really cruises out there and makes my job easy.”
Nitrogen rolls clear in Edgewood, extending her win streak to four
Nitrogen continued to dominate the 3-year-old filly turf division by coasting to a 3 1/2-length victory over Lush Lips in winning the 41st running of the Grade 2, $600,000 Edgewood for 3-year-old fillies Friday afternoon.
Trained by Mark Casse for owner-breeder D. J. Stable and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Nitrogen completed the mile and a sixteenth on firm turf in 1:41.58. The victory was the third in the race for Casse, who won in 2016 with Catch a Glimpse and 2017 with La Coronel.
Gowells Delight set the pace unopposed with Vixen second and Nitrogen third until the far turn when Vixen went after the leader and Nitrogen chasing right behind her.
Nitrogen moved three wide into the stretch, hit the front at the eighth pole and drew off for her fourth consecutive stakes victory. She is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro out of the Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case.
Nitrogen returned $3.94, $2.66 and $2.10. Lush Lips, ridden by Flavien Prat, returned $3.88 and $2.58 and finished a nose in front of Vixen, who paid $2.42 to show under Irad Ortiz Jr.
It was another three-quarters of a length back to Aterradora with Gowells Delight and Hideaway following in order.
“She broke great and put me into a great position around both turns,” Jose Ortiz said of Nitrogen. “When I tipped out at the quarter pole she was loaded. Very simple trip. She’s amazing.”
Casse concurred. “She’s amazing, isn’t she? I keep saying this but her race in the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Fillies Turf), she could have given the winner a run for the money if she didn’t have a rough trip. She has just built from that race. She’s so nice because she shuts off for Jose (Ortiz) and he taps her on the shoulder and she takes off. She is usually outside but they had her pinned in a little bit. She’s a big filly and she pushed her way out and said ‘get out of my way.’”
Look Forward bounces back with Eight Belles victory
Look Forward, who broke a step slow in her most recent start in the Grade 1 Ashland, was forwardly placed Friday and went on to score a 1 1/4-length victory over Blue Fire in the 70th running of the Grade 2, $600,000 Eight Belles for 3-year-old fillies.
Trained by Michael McCarthy for owner Reddam Racing and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Look Forward completed the seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.36.
Look Forward stalked the pace of Impulse Buy to the far turn where she began to inch up and take control at the top of the stretch where she opened up on the field and had more than enough left in the tank to notch her second stakes victory and third win in six starts.
Look Forward is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Bolt d’Oro out of the Into Mischief mare Troublesome.
Look Forward returned $17.04, $9.54 and $6.76. Blue Fire, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $12.54 and $8.12 and finished a length in front of Evanescence, who paid $8.12 to show under Luan Machado.
It was another length back to Mendela with favored Verity, Whatintheliteral, Bourbon Memory, Impulse Buy, Eclatant, Princess Aliyah and Kimchi Cat following in order.
Look Foward wins Eight Belles for McCarthy
Reddam Racing’s Look Forward, who broke a step slow in her most recent start in the Ashland (G1), was forwardly placed Friday and went on to score a 1 1/4-length victory over Blue Fire in the 70th running of the $600,000 Eight Belles (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.
Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Look Forward completed the seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.36.
Look Forward stalked the pace of Impulse Buy to the far turn where she began to inch up and take control at the top of the stretch where she opened up on the field and had more than enough left in the tank to notch her second stakes victory and third win in six starts.
Look Forward is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Bolt d’Oro out of the Into Mischief mare Troublesome.
Look Forward returned $17.04, $9.54 and $6.76. Blue Fire, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $12.54 and $8.12 and finished a length in front of Evanescence, who paid $8.12 to show under Luan Machado.
It was another length back to Mendela with favored Verity, Whatintheliteral, Bourbon Memory, Impulse Buy, Eclatant, Princess Aliyah and Kimchi Cat following in order.
Queen Maxima gets 2nd straight graded win in Unbridled Sidney
Queen Maxima uncorked a four-wide rally at the top of the stretch and then drew off to score a 3 1/2-length victory over Crown Imperial to win the 15th running of the $400,000 Unbridled Sidney (G3) for fillies and mares Friday afternoon.
Trained by Jeff Mullins and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Queen Maxima completed the 5 1/2 furlongs on a turf course rated as good in 1:01.29 to establish a course record.
Epona’s Hope set the pace with Crown Imperial and Ag Bullet in closest pursuit and Queen Maxima racing fourth and in the clear. Hernandez moved after the leaders on the far turn and took command at the head of the lane and was not threatened in the run to the finish.
A 4-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Bucchero, Queen Maxima has won five consecutive races, all with Hernandez aboard. It was her second consecutive Grade 3 score.
Sent off as the second choice in the field of nine, Queen Maxima returned $6.28, $4.22 and $3.08. Crown Imperial, ridden by Luis Saez, returned $13.16 and $6.56 and finished a neck in front of Epona’s Hope, who paid $4.68 to show under Joel Rosario.
It was another length back to Bling with Cloudwalker, Gavea, favored Ag Bullet, Asternia and Awesome Treat following in order.