LNJ Foxwoods's Constellation (Bellamy Road), making her second start for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, overtook pacesetting Finley'sluckycharm (Twirling Candy) and drove clear to take the GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita Monday by a half-length. Finley'sluckycharm set a pressured pace down the backstretch with Constellation in between rivals as a host of challengers vied for early position. Finley'sluckycharm still had a narrow advantage over Constellation after a half in :44.58 as Enola Gray (Grazen), wide throughout, came to challenge the top two with a three-way move at the top of the lane. The favorite forged to a clear lead after three-quarters in 1:09.05, but Constellation reeled her back in in the dying strides, catching the tiring favorite in the shadow of the wire. Enola Gray was three lengths back in third.
“She is a really fine filly,” said winning rider Flavien Prat, who inherited the mount when David Flores's flight from Kentucky was delayed. “She broke well, but I couldn't take a hold of her. She just wouldn't relax. When we got to the 3/8ths pole, she finally relaxed and she did everything to get there for the win. I was fortunate to get the call on her today.”
Favored Lightstream (Harlan's Holiday) came home an even fifth under Julien Leparoux.
“I feel like it all came down to the turn where she got beaten,” Leparoux said. “We were going okay but usually she just relaxes and makes a big run and she didn't. She broke good and she wanted to go a bit early, but she didn't really relax for the big run.”
Constellation, tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after her debut win at Saratoga in August 2015, was third in the Sept. 5 GI Spinaway S. and second in the GII Matron S. She concluded her juvenile campaign with an effortless romp in the Nov. 26 Furlough S. and had an equally easy time of it when a 10-length winner of her sophomore debut in the Jan. 17 Ruthless S. She went to the sidelines after a fourth-place finish in the Mar. 26 Cicada S., her final outing for trainer Steve Asmussen. Flores was in the irons for the first time when Constellation scored a 5 1/4-length victory in the Nov. 12 City of Phoenix S. at Turf Paradise last time out.
Pedigree Notes:
Northwest Stud purchased Constellation for $155,000 at the 2014 September sale before reselling her for $800,000 at the following year's OBS March sale.
WinStar Farm purchased Constellation's stakes-winning dam For Royalty (Not For Love), a half to this year's GII Chilukki S. winner Kiss to Remember (Big Brown), for $87,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November sale. The 9-year-old mare produced a colt by Into Mischief in 2016 and was bred back to Tapit. Her Paynter filly sold for $190,000 at this year's Keeneland September Yearling sale.
For Royalty is a daughter of stakes winner Taft Lil Queen (Irish Open), a full-sister to the dam of Grade I winners Spun Sugar (Awesome Again) and Daaher (Awesome Again).
Monday, Santa Anita Park
LA BREA S.-GI, $301,035, SA, 12-26, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:21.83, ft.
1–@&CONSTELLATION, 119, f, 3, by Bellamy Road
1st Dam: For Royalty (SW), by Not For Love
2nd Dam: Taft Lil Queen, by Irish Open
3rd Dam: Eston, by Ancestral (Ire)
'TDN Rising Star' ($155,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; $800,000 2yo '15
OBSMAR). O-LNJ Foxwoods; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Jerry
Hollendorfer; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record:
8-5-1-1, $479,464. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”winstar-eligible-youre-a-winner”][bullet ad=”winstar-bred”][bullet ad=”denali-bredbywinstarsoldbydenali”][bullet ad=”taylor-made-constellation”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Finley'sluckycharm, 119, f, 3, Twirling Candy–Day of Victory,
by Victory Gallop. ($77,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Carl R. Moore
Management LLC; B-Lakland Farm (KY); T-W. Bret Calhoun.
$60,000.[bullet ad=”lakland-farm-graduate”][bullet ad=”burleson-farms-consigned-by”]3–Enola Gray, 119, f, 3, Grazen–Unsung Heroine, by More Than
Ready. O/B-Nicholas B. Alexander (CA); T-Philip D'Amato.
$36,000.[bullet ad=”gayle-van-leer-dam-selected-by”]Margins: HF, 3, 1 1/4. Odds: 12.50, 1.80, 4.60.
Also Ran: Lunar Empress, Lightstream, Perfect Pic, Coniah, Chao Chom.
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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