Mrs McDougal was rated off a slow pace for the opening three-quarters of a mile, but came out four wide into the stretch and ran down the pacesetting duo of Feathered and Cara Marie to take Friday's GII Lake George S. at Saratoga.
Favored in each of her first three career starts, Mrs McDougal graduated on her Feb. 4 debut at Gulfstream and was a disappointing fourth in her first allowance test Mar. 14 before pounding Aqueduct rivals by 7 1/4 lengths Apr. 24. That effort earned her a trip to the GI American Oaks at Santa Anita May 31 and she sat a pace-pressing trip before fading to fourth, with stablemate Consumer Credit (More Than Ready) one spot ahead in third.
Midfield, but about three wide around the clubhouse turn, Mrs McDougal was trapped out deep and without the benefit of cover through a tepid opening four furlongs. The $450,000 Keeneland September graduate nonetheless improved outside of rivals on the turn and, despite covering all the ground, came with a stinging rally in the final eighth of a mile to prevail in a blanket finish. Another Brown entrant, Partisan Politics (More Than Ready) raced further back in the field, but rallied stoutly into the slow pace to be a close fourth. Mrs McDougal covered the widest trip and went 53 and 52 feet (about six lengths) further than the second and third home, respectively.
“The Warrens are terrific clients of mine and they deserved a good win like this at Saratoga,” said winning trainer Chad Brown of his owners, who famously campaigned Horse of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado). “I was a little concerned; I knew she didn't have the greatest post with the nine. I was hoping we could save a little more ground early. She didn't get away from the gate great and got hung out most of the race. I was concerned we were losing too much ground, but she overcame it.”
The winner's dam took one of five starts on the West coast for trainer Jeff Mullins before joining the Todd Pletcher barn in mid-2008. A daughter of the stakes-winning Arianna's Passion, Distorted Passion won four of her 13 starts for Pletcher, three of those in black-type company, including a career-concluding success in the 2010 Interborough H. Bred to Giant's Causeway, Distorted Passion fetched $800,000 from Aaron and Marie Jones at that year's Keeneland November sale. She is the dam of a yearling colt of this year by Giant's Causeway and foaled a full-sister to Mrs McDougal this past Apr. 4.
Friday, Saratoga
LAKE GEORGE S.-GII, $200,000, SAR, 7-24, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.52, fm.
1–#@MRS MCDOUGAL, 117, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Distorted Passion (MSW & MGSP, $294,271), by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Arianna's Passion, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Impassion, by Shadeed
($450,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Mr. & Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.; B-Aaron & Marie Jones (KY); T-Chad Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, $212,880. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Feathered, 123, f, 3, Indian Charlie–Receipt, by Dynaformer. ($300,000 2yo '14 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Teresa Viola Racing Stable (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Cara Marie, 115, f, 3, Unbridled's Song–Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy. ($90,000 Wlg '12 KEENOV; $460,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Three Chimneys Farm; B-Sun Valley Farm & The Unbridled's Song Syndicate (KY); T-Kellyn Gorder. $20,000.
Margins: HF, NO, NK. Odds: 4.50, 5.20, 19.80.
Also Ran: Partisan Politics, All in Fun, Jellicle Ball (Ire), Mississippi Delta, Robillard, Sivoliere (Ire). Scratched: Lady Zuzu, Celestine, My Year Is a Day (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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