Dacita, a two-time Group 1 winner in her native Chile in 2014, flashed serious talent in her U.S. debut at this venue some 11 months ago, getting up in the shadow of the wire to become the last horse to have defeated the great champion Tepin (Bernstein) in the GII Ballston Spa S. Things didn't go quite as well for a while after that. Ninth over good ground she didn't seem to relish in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf at Keeneland Oct. 31, she returned in Gulfstream's GIII The Very One S. Mar. 5, but had to settle for second as the 7-10 chalk behind stablemate Olorda (Ger) (Lord of England {Ger}) and ahead of another Chad Brown trainee. A well-beaten fourth to Tepin in Keeneland's GI Jenny Wiley S. Apr. 16, she returned to winning ways in Belmont's 10-panel GII New York S. June 10, coming home in a supersonic :21.56 (courtesy Trakus) while capping a Brown-trained trifecta.
Dacita was the second-most-fancied here of four Brown runners behind Wekeela (7-2) and ahead of 7-1 Mrs McDougal (Medaglia d'Oro) and 28-1 Rainha Da Bateria.
Hopping a bit at the start, Dacita was content to caboose the field early as an honest pace materialized up front. Asked for a bit more to keep up with the field hitting the home bend, she fanned widest of all hitting the straight as a bunch of runners still looked they could win at that point. Kept after under energetic right-handed encouragement from Irad Ortiz, Jr., Dacita seemed to find another gear as the winning line loomed and got her head down just in time. The stewards looked at some bumping between Recepta and Rainha Da Bateria, but made no change.
“She's a nice filly,” said the winning rider. “I got the perfect trip while saving ground. She came from last and come running at the end.”
Winning co-owner Bradley Thoroughbreds was also responsible for pinhooking the one-two finishers in the GII Sanford S. earlier on the card, while Sol Kumin's Sheep Pond Partners was looking to put a neck loss with 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Travers S. candidate My Man Sam (Trappe Shot) one race earlier in the rearview mirror.
“It was a lot to watch,” said Brown, who also ran one-two in Friday's GII Lake George S. and is the meet's early leading trainer with three victories through two cards. “In the end it was like a replay of the Ballston Spa last year when Dacita got up the last jump to beat Tepin. Similar finish here. Dacita loves Saratoga and she knows where the wire is. The first quarter there they were rolling along. I know they tried to slow it down some but it really set the tone for the race that someone from behind, or in mid-pack at worse, was probably going to have the best run. Irad was patient and worked out another great trip for Dacita, and she timed it just right. Obviously I'll be watching this race several times over again. I was able to see some of everyone throughout the race. Obviously two of them ran real well and the other two were disappointing, so I need to go back to the drawing board with those other horses because I know they're top-class horses as well. It was Dacita's day today, but all of them will probably head in different directions from here.”
Saturday, Saratoga
DIANA S.-GI, $500,000, SAR, 7-23, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:46.25, fm.
1–DACITA (CHI), 119, m, 5, by Scat Daddy
1st Dam: Daja (Chi) (Broodmare of the Year-Chi), by Seeker's Reward
2nd Dam: Dadiva II (Arg), by Saint Sever (Fr)
3rd Dam: Abide (Arg), by Good Manners
O-Sheep Pond Partners & Bradley Thoroughbreds; B-Haras Paso Nevado (CHI); T-Chad C Brown; J-Irad Ortiz Jr. $300,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo & 3yo Filly-Chi, MG1SW-Chi, 15-9-2-1, $967,361. *1/2 to Dacimo (Chi) (Dushyantor), G1SP-Chi; Lady Estafania (Chi) (Powerscourt {GB}), Ch. Imp. 2yo Filly-Per, SW & GSP-Per; full to Dalala (Chi), MG1SP-Chi; and Dosificado (Chi), GSW-Chi. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
[bullet ad=”bradley-comerunwithus”]2–Recepta, 115, m, 5, Speightstown–Honor Bestowed, by Honor Grades. ($410,000 Ylg '12 KEESEP). O-Phillips Racing Partnership & Pam Gartin; B-John W Phillips & Hank Snowden (KY); T-James J Toner. $100,000.
[bullet ad=”kirkwood-shell”][bullet ad=”darbydan-shell”]3–Rainha Da Bateria, 115, f, 4, Broken Vow–Amelia, by Dixieland Band. ($435,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Three Chimneys Farm; B-Alexander Groves Matz, LLC (KY); T-Chad C Brown. $50,000.
[bullet ad=”bridlewood-farm-training-graduate”][bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”]Margins: NO, HD, NO. Odds: 4.10, 9.20, 28.75.
Also Ran: Miss Temple City, Strike Charmer, Onus, Mrs McDougal, Isabella Sings, Sandiva (Ire), Wekeela (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Pedigree Notes:
Scat Daddy, who shuttled to Chile's Haras Paso Nevado from 2009 to 2011, was leading sire in that country in both 2013 and 2014. He was responsible for four Chilean champions in 2014, including Dacita. Scat Daddy died of cardiac arrest late last year at just 11 years old, and the continued success of his progeny this season has made the impact of his loss even greater. His 2016 standouts include GI Just a Game S. romper Celestine; 'TDN Rising Star' and jaw-dropping G2 Queen Mary S. winner Laudy Aurelia; and G2 Coventry S. victor Caravaggio. His 2-year-olds were in high demand this year, selling for an average of $195,515 with his top colt bringing $500,000 and top filly bringing $535,000.
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