The Start Up, Grade 1 F/M, Beautiful Deauville
The oddsmakers said it was evenly matched, and perhaps it was, but BITTERBLOOMS(IRE) did her best to make it look like a laugher. She widened her early lead to four lengths late in the game, and it was only the final charge of PRIMORDIAL SOUP(KY) that made for a contested result. It was more than four lengths back to RAINWILDS(ENG) in third, as that speedy mare could not keep pace with the winner and wound up making slight headway from midpack.
The winner, an improving DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) 4-year-old, took her first graded prize. She used similar blazing tactics in her last two, both victories (an allowance and a listed stakes). She moves to #32 on the turf classic chart.
PRIMORDIAL SOUP(KY) was trying the Grade 1 company despite lacking a victory for the year. However, she has significant back class, having won the Grade 1 Avalon last year in her first graded tilt. Her disappointing 2010 was reversed as she returned to her best stretchrunning form.
VERDUGA VOLADORA(AUS) and ROCK THE BUDA(KY) completed the top five, benefitting from the pace scenario. IN DEEP SPACE(IRE), NEVAEH SKY(KY), and NATIVE MAMBO(KY) all tried BITTERBLOOMS(IRE)’s pace and fell back. Particularly disappointing was slight favorite INSTINCT(KY), who came in off a smashing closing win in the Statue, but struggled home next to last with an 88 speed.