Gone Wylde, Queen in Ascot

Eleven fillies went to the post in last Saturdays mile long Queen Ascot Stakes (G1) here in Ascot. Being sent to the pot as the race favorite was theogbarn’s five-year-old mare, Northern Pulp with super7’s filly, Torch The Flame going in as the second betting choice. But there was an upset on Saturday as the sarava02 owned daughter of top sire Gone West, Gone Wylde took away the win from the favorite and won the Queen Ascot Stakes (G1).

Once all eleven fillies and mares were loaded into the start gates, tense seconds were spent waiting for the start of the race, the crowd holding their breath in anticipation. Surprisingly, out taking the lead early on out of the gate by the barest of margins was Torch The Flame, who has been rated towards the back of in many of her races. Just to her inside was Desert Theatre owned and trained by chloedawg2, who was running as expected right on the pace with the leader and looking for her first stakes win in the Queen Ascot. A half length back in third riding along on the rail was Gone Wylde who was looking for her third consecutive stakes win. The blue-blooded filly was looking good biding her time on the rail in third. Running right along with Gone Wylde to her outside was fairyking’s Planetarium (IRE), looking for her first Grade I win in the Queen Ascot Stakes. Running back in fifth was Culinary Cutie (IRE), trained by buzz. The filly was back slightly further in the field than was expected, but this was nothing that the former Breeders Bowl Mile winner couldn’t handle. Trailing the field early on out of the gates was one of our race longshots, tsunami8’s Wrath Of Tara, who was trying to achieve her first win over the turf in her racing career.

Moving along in the race, Torch The Flame lengthened her lead to half a length over Gone Wylde who had found more room on the rail and went flying past Desert Theatre to her outside. Planetarium (IRE) was still running along in fourth with Culinary Cutie (IRE) about 1/4 of a length behind her. Favorite Northern Pulp was still back in sixth, four and one-fourth lengths off the pace, waiting for the perfect moment to make her move later on in the race. Just off to her outside was the beisbol owned and trained Red Rock Lass. Tsunami4’s second entry in the field, A Case In Point by noted dirt sire Point Given, was back in eighth with the Japanese-bred Commander Geri (JPN), trained by slim back in ninth. Both of these fillies were looking for their first stakes win. The impressive scoobi2 owned Deerstanding was also looking for her first graded stakes win and hoping to improve her luck with not finishing second to another photo again should the race come down to that. Still trailing the field and now eighteen and three-fourths lengths back from the leader Torch The Flame was the longshot filly, Wrath Of Tara

Coming into the turn before the stretch, Gone Wylde overtook Torch The Flame on the inside and was making her move on the field now, going head to head with Torch The Flame in second. Planetarium (IRE) was also making her move in third, but the brown filly was four lengths off the pace with the rest of the field quickly gaining. Deerstanding was making her move now just before the stretch and had moved from tenth to eighth, not even pouring on the steam yet. Pre-race favorite Northern Pulp was also beginning to show some speed and was going around horses on the outside right along with Red Rock Lass. Desert Theatre looked to have any dreams of graded wins dashed for her connections as she dropped back in the pack along with Culinary Cutie (IRE), the 2007 Breeders Bowl Mile winner not going to get the job done today. A Case In Point had drifted back into tenth, just ahead of stable mate Wrath Of Tara.

As the field came down the stretch the grandstand roared with excitement as Gone Wylde sprinted away from Torch The Flame, leaving the other filly in her wake. No one was going to catch Gone Wylde and jockey G. Brown today, the batter would be for second and third. Deerstanding was coming on the outside to try to take down Torch The Flame. It was not to bee and Deerstanding would not catch Torch The Flame either, though the filly would manage to keep her record of never finishing out of the money in a turf race intact for the Queen Ascot Stakes (G1). As they neared the wire it was Gone Wylde as the clear winner by one and three-fourth lengths over Torch The Flame in second with Deerstanding rounding out the top three. Gone Wylde won the race with jockey G. Brown aboard in 1:34 1/5 for the mile race, leaving the legendary Storm Dog’s stakes record intact, which had also recently been tied by fillies Thirteenth Date and Wassie’s Star.

Also Rans: Northern Pulp, Red Rock Lass, Planetarium (IRE), Commander Geri (JPN), Desert Theatre, Culinary Cutie (IRE), A Case In Point, and Wrath Of Tara.

Congratulations to sarava02 of Black Label Stables for your win with Gone Wylde in the Queen Ascot Stakes (G1). This is tellnotale signing off.