RUTHLESS S., $95,000, AQU, 1-17, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.89, ft.
1–CONSTELLATION, 122, 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)
($155,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; $800,000 2yo '15 OBSMAR). O-LNJ
Foxwoods; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen;
J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $60,000. Lifetime Record: MSW & GISP,
5-3-1-1, $274,800.
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2–Kalabaka, 117, f, 3, Trappe Shot–Athena Ballerina, by Lion
Heart. O-Mamatas Racing Stable LLC; B-Nick & Theresa
Mamatas (KY); T-Richard A. Violette, Jr. $20,000.
3–Mo d'Amour, 118, f, 3, Uncle Mo–Neverthesame, by Scat
Daddy. ($22,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; $75,000 2yo '15 OBSMAR).
O-King of Prussia Stable; B-Doug & Felicia Branham (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher. $10,000.
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Margins: 10, HF, 7. Odds: 0.05, 7.90, 13.20.
Also Ran: Wave of Glory. Scratched: Clipthecouponannie, Karen's Silk, Absatootly, Lost Raven.
'TDN Rising Star' Constellation made the Sunday feature in Ozone Park look like a paid workout with a wire-to-wire romp. The chestnut gained 'Rising Star' status after an impressive first-out graduation going six panels at the Spa Aug. 9 and followed with third-place effort behind fellow 'Rising Star' Rachel's Valentina (Bernardini) in that venue's GI Spinaway S. Sept. 5. A determined runner-up in the GII Matron S. at Belmont Oct. 18, the filly was last seen dominating this venue's Furlough S. at this same distance Nov. 26. Away in good order as the overwhelming choice for this 2016 bow, Constellation showed the way through fractions of :23.57 and :47.15 while under minimal encouragement from jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Never threatened turning for home, she pulled clear to score easily, with Kalabaka getting the best of a photo for place honors. Initially a $155,000 Keeneland September buy, these connections snapped up Constellation for $800,000 at OBS March last year. The winner hails from the extended family of MGISW Spun Sugar (Awesome Again) and GISW Daaher (Awesome Again). “The pressure's on when you're the favorite, [so] it's a relief and, of course, I'm happy for [Constellation],” commented Toby Sheets, assistant to winning trainer Steve Asmussen. “She's such a nice filly. She's very straightforward. She thinks she is the boss and we let her be the boss. We were kind of indecisive [about leaving her in New York], but the weather's been really nice, so that's helped a lot. We're just going to enjoy the win today and move on from there.”
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