Despite being a half to champion sprinter Big Drama, the accomplished Sheer Drama had built up her impressive resume almost exclusively in routes–until now. A late-on-the-scene second in last January's Sunshine Millions Distaff going this distance at Gulfstream behind eventual GI Humana Distaff S. heroine and 'TDN Rising Star' Dame Dorothy (Bernardini), she stretched back out to be second in the GIII Rampart S. in February before airing in the GII Royal Delta S. in March. Second in Churchill's GI La Troienne S. in May and GII Fleur de Lis H. in June, she earned her first win at the highest level in the Delaware H. July 18 and bested a very strong field that included next-out GI Juddmonte Spinster S. winner Got Lucky (A.P. Indy), champion Untapable (Tapit) and Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) in Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 29. Freshened after that, the Queen homebred checked in fourth behind Stopchargingmaria in her last appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff over two more furlongs here Oct. 30. Enjoying a garden spot behind the dueling leaders in this incredibly stacked line-up, Sheer Drama fanned four wide after a half in :44.86. Joined by Stopchargingmaria to her immediate outside when she struck the front, she dug in gamely and willed her way to victory after being briefly headed.
“This filly did a lot of great things last year, won some Grade Is, and this was her first race back,” offered winning rider Joe Bravo. “[Trainer] Dave [Fawkes] and I spent all week looking at it and saying, 'Wow. These are some of the best fillies in the country.' What she did today–you gotta just love her. She has so much heart. [Stopchargingmaria] came to us at the top of the lane, and she passed us. [When a horse trained by] Todd [Pletcher] goes by you, you think, 'Oh right.' But Sheer Drama said, 'None of that.' She gutted it out and outran her down the lane.”
Fawkes added, “I talked to [Keeneland Racing Secretary] Ben [Huffman] about this race early in the year, and thought it might be a good starting spot. Never expected it to come up this tough, but she ran her race–she brought her 'A' game. She worked so good last week, I thought she could do anything [in this race].”
Saturday, Keeneland
MADISON S.-GI, $300,000, KEE, 4-9, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.07, ft.
1–SHEER DRAMA, 118, m, 6, by Burning Roma
1st Dam: Riveting Drama, by Notebook
2nd Dam: Special Token, by Hyperborean
3rd Dam: Accept My Token, by Accipiter
O/B-Harold L. Queen (FL); T-David Fawkes; J-Joe Bravo.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: 21-7-8-1, $1,618,840. *1/2 to Big
Drama (Montbrook), Ch. Sprinter, GISW, $2,746,060; full to
Little Drama, MSW & MGSP, $359,299; and Queen Drama, SW,
$127,225. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Stopchargingmaria, 120, m, 5, Tale of the Cat–Exotic Bloom,
by Montbrook. ($47,000 Ylg '12 KEESEP; $220,000 2yo '13
OBSMAR; $3,150,000 RNA 3yo '14 FTKNOV). O-Town &
Country Racing, LLC; B-Harvey Clarke & Brookdale Farm LLC
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
[bullet ad=”brookdale-co-bred-raised-sold”][bullet ad=”woodford-winning”][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”taylor-made-private-sales-grad”]3–Wavell Avenue, 123, m, 5, Harlington–Lucas Street, by Silver
Deputy. ($70,000 3yo '14 FTKHRA). O-M. Dubb, D. Simon,
Head of Plains Partners LLC & Bethlehem Stables LLC;
B-Eugene Melnyk (ON); T-Chad C. Brown. $30,000.
[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”equix-optimatch”][bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]
Margins: NK, 2, 1. Odds: 8.40, 2.40, 4.10.
Also Ran: Birdatthewire, Enchanting Lady, Dancing House, Spelling Again, Clothes Fall Off, Sunday Rules, Super Majesty, Fioretti. Scratched: Cavorting, Thirteen Arrows. 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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