Blame's Abscond Lands Woodbine's GI Natalma S.

Abscond (8) edges out Walk In Marrakesh and Fair Maiden | Michael Burns

Abscond turned back odds-on Fair Maiden and won a desperately close photo with European raider Walk In Marrakesh to upset the GI Natalma S. Sunday at Woodbine, a “Win and You're In” event for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Rallying to a narrow first-out score July 21 at Ellis, the $90,000 Keeneland September pickup was no match for G2 Queen Mary S. runner-up Kimari (Munnings) when second in the Bolton Landing S. Aug. 14 at Saratoga and was sent off as the fourth choice making her initial route attempt in this seven-horse group.

Breaking on top from her outside stall, the bay hooked up with rail-drawn Walk In Marrakesh through a :23.99 quarter as Fair Maiden posted up widest of a trio in the second flight. Those two continued to spar through a :48.24 half before the favorite sidled up to make it three in a line passing six furlongs in 1:12.56. Fair Maiden appeared ready to run to her billing outside the eighth pole, but idled when striking the front and started drifting out at the sixteenth marker. That left Abscond and Walk In Marrakesh to hash it out in the final 50 yards, and Abscond tenaciously turned back her rival by a nostril under Irad Ortiz, Jr., who swept both of the day's Grade Is. Fair Maiden was a neck back in third.

“She was acting really good, she broke out of there sharp and just stayed in the middle of the turf course and she was relaxed,” said Ortiz. “She's a fighter. She fought with the outside horse and came back on the inside. She fought back and she put a head in front in the last couple of jumps. Everything worked out good for us.”

“I'm really impressed with her,” said Kelly Wheeler, assistant to winning trainer Eddie Kenneally. “She's done everything right since she broke her maiden. Really, we've asked a lot of her– shipping her up to Saratoga, she handled that great. So we shipped her up here, it looked like a good spot, and she came through.”

Pedigree Notes:
Abscond is the 26th stakes winner, 14th graded stakes winner and fourth Grade I/Group 1 winner for Claiborne Farm's Blame. She is the second foal out of 9-year-old Solitary Life, a half-sister to three-time South African champion sprinter Overarching (Arch), herself the producer of South African G1SW Lady of the House (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}), as well as GSW Temeraine (Arch) and Sassification (Smart Strike), the dam of MGSW turfer Cambodia (War Front). Bought by Redmon Farm for $50,000 at Keeneland November in 2017, she is responsible for a yearling Violence filly and was bred to Not This Time this spring.

Sunday, Woodbine
NATALMA S.-GI, C$250,000, Woodbine, 9-15, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.51, yl.
1–ABSCOND, 121, f, 2, by Blame&log=">Blame
1st Dam: Solitary Life, by Grand Slam
2nd Dam: Lonely Fact, by Known Fact
3rd Dam: Lonely Beach, by Kennedy Road
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($35,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $90,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $30,000 RNA 2yo '19 EASMAY). O-Apogee Bloodstock & Mike Anderson Racing LLC; B-Michael Niall (KY); T-Eddie Kenneally; J-Irad Ortiz Jr. C$150,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $162,875. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Walk In Marrakesh (Ire), 121, f, 2, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Walk In Beauty (Ire), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Zelda (Ire), by Caerleon
3rd Dam: Mill Princess (Ire), by Mill Reef
O-Merriebelle Stable LLC; B-Merriebelle Irish Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Mark Johnston. C$50,000.
3–Fair Maiden, 121, f, 2, by Street Boss
1st Dam: Shieldmaiden, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Code Book, by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: Secret Status, by A.P. Indy
O/B-Godolphin LLC (KY); T-Eoin G Harty. C$27,500.
Margins: NO, NK, 1. Odds: 9.50, 4.75, 0.60.
Also Ran: Diamond Sparkles, Secret Stash (Ire), Saratoga Vision, Runway Dreamer. Scratched: Coach Lori.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.

Copy Article Link

X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.