First State Filly Spectaculars
Delaware– Two *xtremely xciting* graded stakes took place this past weekend at Delaware. Both races boast Sim tradition and their 2005 renewals did not disappoint:
- Xtremely Gold added to her Sim legend-in-the-making in the First State Distaff(G1) for older mares
- Beta Cat declared she’s ready for the big time in the First State Oaks(G2) for sophomore fillies
Breeders Bowl for Xtremely Gold?
After seeing her unbeaten record snapped last month at Sweden, trainer ejdstable probably decided they had nothing to lose: “Why not send the stayer Xtremely Gold to the First State Distaff(G1) over 10 furlongs? Sure, it was only a half-mile shorter than she’s used to running. So, so what? We got nothing to lose now that the unbeaten streak is history…….”
And so it probably went something like that, and, boy, did it sure pay off with Xtremely Gold picking up her second career Grade 1 victory in the $600,000 Distaff(G1). The 4YO brown daughter of Touch Gold stormed from far back to collar dawgpound’s Storm Cat filly Congressional in deep stretch. The race set up perfectly for ‘Gold — a shallow pace played right into her favor and she was clearly the class of the group over this distance to win going away by two lengths.
Final time was a rather pedestrian 2:02 1/5, but that’s all the winner needed. Racetime favorite and last year’s champion turf mare Turning Japanese (dkyoung) didn’t make the most of her career dirt debut, finishing well up the track. Racing’s Forty Nine Tears(IRE) rallied decently for the show spot over har’s early frontrunner Puentelarra.
Slow time aside though, it was a magical victory for Xtremely Gold and signaled great things to come. She’s now proven she can run over the classic “10”….. could the Breeder’s Bowl Distaff distance of 9 furlongs be that far off? It is *certainly* possible and we hope ejdstable tries the distance soon.
Xtremely Gold now boasts a 10-for-11 lifetime record and chases $1-million in earnings.
Spotlight At Long Last For Beta Cat
Stable wortud’s patience paid off at long last when their prized filly Beta Cat captured her graded stakes debut in the First State Oaks(G2).
The diminutive chestnut daughter of Miswaki was a late foal last year and required some good patience by her trainer in the ALW ranks this season. By May though, Beta Cat was firing on all four cylinders in black type company — she won 3-of-4 listed stakes with steady pacesetting improvement in short routes. Saturday was her day then to finally step into the spotlight.
In the Oaks(G2), Beta Cat’s jockey H. Ross let longshot PJ River Lass (pjbreeds) take the early lead, settling ‘Cat into second. Ross wanted to reserve his filly’s power for the final turn. When asked for run, Beta Cat responded with a game rush — she was never threatened down the lane enroute to a 1 1/2 length victory in 1:42 flat for the 1 1/16 main track miles.
Jwolfe607’s Empire Maker filly Empire Gold closed mildly from stalker-style postion to snare second money, well clear of a valiant PJ River Lass. Racetime favorite Technically T(IRE) stopped badly down the stetch and was never a factor.
Beta Cat boasts a 7-for-11 lifetime record with over $340,000 in earnings.