Consistent as the day is long, the hard-trying Zipessa, who had previously done all her best work from the front, was given a off-the-pace trip by Joe Bravo, took command a furlong from home and went on to an elusive first Grade I success in Saturday's GI First Lady S. at Keeneland. The victory earned Zipessa an expenses-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Nov. 4.
Slightly on edge in gate five, Zipessa was perhaps a half-step slow to begin and was not asked for speed early, allowing Hawksmoor, who ducked to the outside from gate seven, to burn some fuel to get across the field to lead approaching the first turn. Zipessa, rank for a stride or two passing under the line, covered ground three wide and facing the breeze and was allowed to roll forward to assume second position with 4 1/2 furlongs to travel. Hawksmoor had switched off nicely for Julien Leparoux and controlled the pace, getting the six furlongs in a modest 1:14.30, but Zipessa was clocking that one's every move and went up to challenge at the three-sixteenths. Roused to stick a head in front at the eighth pole, Zipessa edged clear to register the upset as Hawksmoor held for second. Roca Roja was four wide into the lane and stayed on well while no threat to the top pair.
Bravo suggested that he had carte blanche where it came to his ride.
“That's the great thing about [trainer] Michael [Stidham] and his team,” he said. “He let me go out there and ride with an open mind. This filly, she can relax. She's gotten bigger, smarter, with age she's just gotten to be a better horse.”
A respectable fifth in last year's Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita, Zipessa was third to Sunday's GI Flower Bowl S. entrant Grand Jete (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in the GIII Eatontown S. in June before missing by a nose in the 11-furlong GIII Robert G. Dick S. at Delaware Park July 8. Ninth after setting leisurely fractions in the GI Beverly D. S. Aug. 12, she was exiting a narrow defeat at the hands of Miss Temple City (Temple City) in the GIII Ladies' Turf S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 9.
Pedigree Notes:
Zipessa is the ninth Grade I winner for City Zip, who passed away this past July, and although the chestnut did his best work sprinting on the main, four of his top-level scorers-all fillies-have done so at a mile or further on the turf. Zipessa's yearling half-brother by Cairo Prince fetched $350,000 from xx at the recently concluded Keeneland September sale, while Precious Princess aborted to Street Sense this year. She was most recently bred to Honor Code. This is also the female family of GSW Dearest (Midshipman) and SW & GISP Stopshoppingmaria (More Than Ready).
Saturday, Keeneland
FIRST LADY S.-GI, $400,000, KEE, 10-7, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:36.99, fm.
1–ZIPESSA, 124, m, 5, by City Zip
1st Dam: Precious Princess (SP), by Horse Chestnut (SAf)
2nd Dam: Dootsie, by Dixieland Band
3rd Dam: Skybox, by Spend a Buck
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($30,000 Wlg '12 KEENOV; $67,000 Ylg '13 FTKOCT). O-Empyrean Stables; B-G. Watts Humphrey Jr. & Sally S. Humphrey (KY); T-Michael Stidham; J-Joe Bravo. $240,000. Lifetime Record: 16-5-3-3, $783,550. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: C.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”bradshaw-randy-shell”][bullet ad=”stgeorge-salesgrad”][bullet ad=”marette-farrell-yearling-recommendation”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Hawksmoor (Ire), 124, f, 4, by Azamour (Ire)
1st Dam: Bridal Dance (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Feather Bride (Ire), by Groom Dancer
3rd Dam: Bubbling Danseuse, by Arctic Tern
(€80,000 Ylg '14 TISEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Tenuta Genzianella (IRE); T-Arnaud Delacour. $80,000.
3–Roca Rojo (Ire), 124, m, 5, by Strategic Prince (GB)
1st Dam: Lucy Diamonds (Ire), by Orpen
2nd Dam: Lucy In The Sky (Ire), by Lycius
3rd Dam: Nazwa (Ire), by Tarboosh
O-Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables LLC and Bradley Thoroughbreds; B-Mr Tommy Murphy (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.[bullet ad=”denali-keenov-hip-315″]bullet ad=”bradley-comerunwithus”][bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 1HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 16.60, 5.30, 2.10.
Also Ran: Dona Bruja (Arg), Dickinson, One Liz, Delectation (GB).
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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