Texas-bred Patrona Margarita pulled off a 23-1 upset and secured a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with a decisive score in Churchill Downs' GII Pocahontas S. Saturday. The dark bay ran three-wide in a joint sixth early as Primo Extremo (Overanalyze) clocked early fractions of :23.68 and :48.83. Advancing up the outside to take closer order on the backstretch run, the homebred was five wide turning for home and began drifting in a bit as she took control in early stretch. Kept to task by Brian Hernandez, Jr. Patrona Margarita powered home to a decisive victory. Kelly's Humor was second and Debutante S. winner Sunny Skies was third.
“What a rollercoaster-day,” said winning trainer Bret Calhoun, whose trainee Mayla (Sharp Humor) crossed the line first in the Open Mind S. and was DQ'd and placed sixth for interference. “It's tough when you think back on what could have been winning two stakes, but we are happy to win the Pocahontas. She's not Breeders' Cup eligible, so we'll probably point towards the [Oct. 6 GI] Alcibiades [S.] at Keeneland.”
Calhoun continued, “After breaking her maiden over this track we tried her in the Debutante and she got stopped badly. She's a Texas-bred, so we sent her to Lone Star for the Texas Futurity and she ran a solid third. She's not a sprinter so we knew she'd improve as the distances got longer. She's trained phenomenally over this racetrack recently and I'm happy to see everything come together.”
A debut winner at Churchill June 9, Patrona Margarita was non-factor eighth to Sunny Skies in the Debutante S. here June 30 and was third last time in the restricted Texas Thoroughbred Futurity S. going five furlongs at Lone Star July 22.
Pedigree Notes:
Patrona Margarita is a half to MGSW and millionaire Texas Chrome (Grasshopper); and a yearling filly by Data Link. Her dam Margarita Mistress did not produce a foal in 2017, but was bred back to Malibu Moon earlier this term.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
POCAHONTAS S.-GII, $200,000, CD, 9-16, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:46.35, ft.
1–#@PATRONA MARGARITA, 118, f, 2, by Special Rate
1st Dam: Margarita Mistress, by Naevus
2nd Dam: Four O'Clock Post, by Regal Classic
3rd Dam: Fatal Hour, by Briartic
($4,000 RNA Ylg '16 OBSAUG). O/B-Craig D Upham (TX); T-W Bret Calhoun; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr. $115,320. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $150,253. *1/2 to Texas Chrome (Ghostzapper), MGSW, $1,022,762. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Kelly's Humor, 120, f, 2, Midnight Lute–Cauy's Humor, by Distorted Humor. ($29,000 Ylg '16 FTKFEB; $35,000 Ylg '16 OBSAUG). O-Ike & Dawn Thrash; B-Chappell Alpine Farm (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $37,200.[bullet ad=”bluewater-shell-big-fish”][bullet ad=”southern-chase-selected-broken-trained”][bullet ad=”stuart-morris-grad”]3–Sunny Skies, 120, f, 2, Animal Kingdom–Skyscape, by Marquetry. ($47,000 RNA Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Normandy Farm; B-Normandy Farm LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G McPeek. $18,600.[bullet ad=”fleetwood-bloodstock-mating-recommendation”][bullet ad=”warrendale-sold-congratulations-to-all-the-connections”]Margins: 3 3/4, NK, 1 3/4. Odds: 23.80, 5.10, 5.10.
Also Ran: Primo Extremo, Upset Brewing, Sultry, Harbor Lights, Firstmate, Snowfire, Take Charge Paula, Vision of Justice, Lady Freedom.
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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