Pure Gossip Rolls in Miss Grillo
Despite a strong work on the turf and a
understated grass pedigree, there wasn't much chatter about Pure Gossip
in advance of Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park.
After defeating seven other 2-year-old fillies by 6 ½ lengths at odds of
23-1, she was the talk of the town.
Tucked in third
along the rail as Take It Inside led through an opening half-mile in
48.99, Pure Gossip angled out between horses, sprinted to the lead with a
furlong to go, and drew clear under apprentice Ryan Curatolo to pass
her turf tryout with flying colors.
Her final time for 1 1/16 miles over soft turf was 1:47.71. The third-longest price on the board, she returned $48.20.
"We
liked her turf work [5f in 1:02.40 on September 18 at Belmont] and
she's been [training] on the turf actually more than one time," said
Phil Serpe, who trains the daughter of Pure Prize for Viane Lizza's
Flying Zee Stable. "Her dam is a half-sister to the good horse that Mrs.
Lizza owns, Street Game. It did not surprise us. She worked great on
the turf, the question was the soft turf, but we thought she would be
all right with it."
Pure Gossip, a New York-bred out of
the unraced Dixieland Band mare Dixieland Achiever, had run twice on
dirt at Saratoga Race Course, debuting a winner on opening day and then
finishing fourth in the Ann Clare overnight stakes on September 1. With a
Grade 3 turf victory under her belt and $87,750 in career earnings, she
is now under consideration for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
at Churchill Downs on November 4.
"I have to talk to
Mrs. Lizza, but absolutely [we would consider the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Fillies Turf]," said Serpe. "That's why we do this, for sure."
Royal
Bonnie crossed the wire second, but was disqualified to fourth for
interference in the stretch, promoting Mystic Mama to the runner-up spot
and Bourbonstreetgirl to third. Take It Inside, favored Alaura Michele,
Salsa Mambo and Tanglewood Tale completed the order of finish. Slip
Along Band and Sweet Cat were scratched.