Lady Prancealot parlayed a perfect trip under a gutsy Joe Bravo ride to grab her first Grade I trophy Saturday at Santa Anita. Unhurried early and unaffected by jostling into the first bend that impacted Mucho Unusual, the bay revved up as she had two beaten heading for home. She sliced through a seam and back down to the fence to confront Mucho Unusual for the stretch drive, and powered past that foe determinedly to earn the decision.
“I was just glad to be sitting on Lady Prancealot this afternoon,” Bravo said. “I take my hat off to [trainer] Richard [Baltas] and his team. She was so relaxed post break, so turned off and relaxed like she had full control over the whole race. All I had to do was point her to the hole turning for home and she took me through. She made my job easy. If she was a fat horse she would have never made it.”
Originally campaigned in Great Britain under the tutelage of trainer P. David Evans, Lady Prancealot resurfaced Stateside last September to finish second in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and again in the Surfer Girl S. here in October. Last in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, she got her first North American win two tries later in a local optional claimer Feb. 1. It was right back into stakes company for Lady Prancealot after that, and she was a very close third in the GIII Providencia S. Apr. 6 and runner-up in the GIII Senorita S. May 4 before annexing the nine-panel GIII Honeymoon S. in June. Third in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 17, she was sixth in the Jockey Club Invitational Oaks at Belmont Aug. 16 before belying 10-1 odds to finish with a flourish and capture Keeneland's GIII Pin Oak Valley View S. Oct. 18.
“This filly came over here from Europe and the first time she worked she had an issue and we gave her a bunch of time,” Baltas noted. “We thought we bought a bad horse, but we didn't. She has been ultra-consistent. I want to give a hats off to the guys at San Luis Rey Downs, my assistant trainer who has had her there most of the time. 'Jersey Joe' rode an awesome race and we are all happy now.”
Saturday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN OAKS-GI, $301,053, Santa Anita, 12-28, 3yo, f, 1 1/4mT, 2:01.70, gd.
1–LADY PRANCEALOT (IRE), 124, f, 3, by Sir Prancealot (Ire)
1st Dam: Naqrah (Ire), by Haatef
2nd Dam: Filfilah (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
3rd Dam: El Rabab, by Roberto
1ST GRADE I WIN. (€9,500 Ylg '17 TIRSEP). O-Craig Arntz, Josie
Arntz, Donald Durando, Jules & Michael Iavarone & Jerry
McClanahan; B-Tallyho Stud (IRE); T-Richard Baltas; J-Joe
Bravo. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 17-5-4-3, $547,841.
Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mucho Unusual, 124, f, 3, by Mucho Macho Man
1st Dam: Not Unusual, by Unusual Heat
2nd Dam: Fly First Class, by General Meeting
3rd Dam: Laura's Jet, by Wajima
($170,000 RNA Ylg '17 KEESEP). O/B-George Krikorian (CA);
T-Tim Yakteen. $60,000.
3–Pretty Point, 124, f, 3, by Point of Entry
1st Dam: Pretty Syrie, by Street Boss
2nd Dam: Gatherindy, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Gather The Clan (Ire), by General Assembly
O-Dave Bowden, Sabine Buerchler & Gary Thompson; B-Adena
Springs (KY); T-Patrick Gallagher. $36,000.
Margins: HF, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.60, 3.00, 24.80.
Also Ran: Giza Goddess, Apache Princess, Vibrance, K P Slickem, So Much Happy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Pedigree Notes:
Lady Prancealot becomes the first Grade I or Group 1 winner for her young sire, whose success with runners in California prompted a deal to be made for him to reverse shuttle from Australia to Rancho San Miguel in the Golden State for the 2020 breeding season. Lady Prancealot's dam Naqrah (Ire) is an unraced half-sister to French Group 2 winner Baqah (Ire) (Bahhare), who in turn produced 2017 GI Gulfstream Park Turf H. and 2019 GII Monmouth S. winner Almanaar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Bravo also piloted Almanaar to his most recent graded victory. Naqrah produced a Vadamos (Fr) filly in 2018 and a Galileo Gold (GB) colt Apr. 16.
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