Torching Her Rivals

Torch Song had little difficulty figuring how to win her first start at a route – take the lead and don’t let anybody get near you, much less pass.

The GradeTwo trained filly rewarded the faith her owners had in her when they shipped in from America for the $150,000 Grade 3 Booker T. Handicap, easily wiring a full field of fourteen.  Now a winner of three of her six races, the daughter of Woodman certainly made a certain writer for the Black Type Bugler look foolish when I – I mean he – discounted her other turf win for coming against minimal competition.

With the win, Torch Song earned a speed figure of 89, a full 10 points higher than her previous best, and is now ranked 6^th and 5^th in the turf classic and long divisions respectively. 

The GradeTwo stable owns ten impressive two-year-olds, including Rhibus, who finished second in the Grade 1 G.S.R. Diamond on Saturday.  With its one for three showing Saturday, the stable maintains its incredible 28% win percentage.

Finishing second in the Booker T. was Storm Prophecy.  The Pullaway trained filly made a huge run at the winner, pulling within a length in midstretch, but just as it looked she was going to win the race, jockey N. Schreiber aboard Torch Song tapped his filly twice with a right-handed whip, and the winner was pulling away at the end.

Tap It In made a nice move on the final turn to rally for the show for trainer Dundey2.

The lukewarm favorite, Playbill(IRE), was never a factor and finished last.

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