Sanford R. Robertson's Auntie Joy enjoyed considerable success in her young career rallying from off the pace, but employed a change in tactics to annex Saturday's GIII Regret S. in wire-to-wire fashion. The bay was never truly threatened and finished comfortably clear of runner-up Noble Beauty.
Auntie Joy won two of her first three starts–including a score in a one-mile optional claimer at Gulfstream Mar. 23–and checked in fifth behind reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse (City Zip) after a wide run in the GIII Appalachian S. at Keeneland Apr. 14. She recently showed marked improvement in the
GIII Edgewood S. here May 6, closing to come up 3/4 of a length shy of that formidable rival.
Sent postward at odds of 3-1 while breaking from the far outside post in a field of 11, Auntie Joy was sent to the front and showed the way through measured fractions of :24.02 and :49.48. Never truly threatened turning for home, she found more and held strongly in the final furlong to report home just ahead of the rallying runner-up.
“We're delighted with her,” said winning trainer Brendan Walsh. “She was sitting on a big one, we thought she was, and she produced it. We think she's a very talented filly… And now she looks like she can take on the best of them, so we'll find some decent spots, the [July 9 GI] Belmont Oaks maybe.”
The homebred winner is a half to MGSW Divine Oath, and her third dam is undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign (Private Account). This is the same female family that has yielded GISW Mr. Speaker (Pulpit), and GSW & GISP 'TDN Rising Star' Ocho Ocho Ocho (Street Sense) in recent years.
The winner's dam is also responsible for a yearling filly by Broken Vow, and she was most recently bred back to Pioneerof the Nile.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
REGRET S.-GIII, $100,000, CD, 6-18, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.24, fm.
1–#@AUNTIE JOY, 118, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Rejoicing, by Forestry
2nd Dam: Pennant Champion, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Personal Ensign, by Private Account
O/B-Sanford R. Robertson (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Brian
Joseph Hernandez, Jr.. $58,900. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-0,
$147,350. *1/2 to Divine Oath (Broken Vow), MGSW,
$507,210. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
[bullet ad=”blackwood-graduate-2″][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Noble Beauty, 118, f, 3, Kitten's Joy–Money Huntress, by
Mineshaft. ($95,000 RNA 2yo '15 OBSAPR). O-Great Point
Stables LLC; B-Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$19,000.
[bullet ad=”eqb-cardioclient”]3–Try Your Luck, 118, f, 3, Lookin At Lucky–Golden Sphinx, by
Storm Cat. ($80,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; $18,000 2yo '15 OBSOCT).
O-Stefanie Carroll; B-Fred W. Hertrich lll & John D. Fielding
(KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $9,500.
[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”machmer-named”]Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 2. Odds: 3.10, 5.30, 2.40.
Also Ran: Wessex, La Piba, Family Meeting, Quiet Business, Gone Away, Fuhriously Kissed, Dothraki Queen. Scratched: Crooked Stick. 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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