By Alan Carasso
Turf distaffers trained by Chad Brown had taken the seven most recent renewals of the GI First Lady Stakes at Keeneland, and the New York native looked to have a fair chance to extend that streak in the Bluegrass on Saturday afternoon. But it was Colebrook Farm's Simply in Front (Summer Front) split rivals inside the final eighth of a mile and found the line first to cause a 13-1 upset in a bunched finish and snap the Brown domination, however temporarily.
The mount of Ben Curtis, the $115,000 Keeneland September graduate drifted back through the field and secured a foothold at the fence worse than centerfield as longshot Raqiya (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) led through an opening half in :47.07.
Racing with just one rival behind entering the final three-eighths of a mile, Simply In Front–a very good second to Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) in the GII Kentucky Downs Ladies' Turf Sprint over 6 1/2 panels in her most recent appearance back on Aug. 30–slipstreamed the lesser-preferred of the Brown entry Segesta (Ghostzapper) into the lane, dove down to the inside of that one in upper stretch, hit the front late and held off a resurgent Segesta for the victory. Choisya (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) sat a trip similar to the one that resulted in her mild upset of this track's GI Jenny Wiley Stakes in April and led late before settling for third.
The First Lady marks the first American top-level success for Curtis, who rode with great success over the winter at the Fair Grounds and at the recently completed meeting at Colonial Downs.
“It's unbelievable. I can't put it into words, to be honest with you, and getting it for [trainer] Eddie [Kenneally] as well,” Curtis said. “I first came over for him years ago. He used to tell me I was breezing them wrong, but I think we finally got something right! To do it for him, all the team there, Catherine [Mrs. Kenneally] and the kids, it means the world to me. She's a really nice filly and everything went perfect today.”
Runner-up to She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) in the GI Natalma Stakes at two and winner of the age-restricted Music City Stakes last September, Simply in Front belied odds of 15-1 in the GII Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill May 3, but was only fifth to Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in an easy-ground renewal of the GI Just A Game Stakes at Saratoga June 6. Narrowly best in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies' Turf Mile at Ellis Aug. 3, she was doing her best work in the late stages last time at Kentucky Downs, where she failed to catch the classy Ag Bullet by just three-parts of a length.
Pedigree Notes:
Simply In Front is the first Grade I winner for Summer Front and she is the seventh top-level scorer out of a daughter of Blame, his fourth such winner in 2025. His three previous Grade I winners as a broodmare sire this term include Hope Road (Quality Road, Ballerina Stakes), World Beater (Oscar Performance, Saratoga Derby) and Kilwin (Twirling Candy, Test Stakes).
Under the banner of his Miacomet Bloodstock, William Harrigan purchased the placed Complicated for $110,000 at Keeneland November in 2016 and her enviable produce record has made her progeny increasingly popular from a commercial standpoint. Simply In Front is the mare's second offspring to succeed at the Grade I level in as many years, joining And One More Time, winner of the 2024 Natalma Stakes. A half-sister to the dam of this year's GIII Matron Stakes victress Final Accord (War of Will) from the same sire line as the First Lady winner, Complicated is the dam of the one-raced 2-year-old filly Aporia (War Front), a $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, as well as a yearling colt by Golden Pal already named Roosevelt who fetched $475,000 from Twin Creeks Farm at this year's Keeneland September Sale.
Complicated was barren to Not This Time for 2025 and returned to that stallion this past breeding season.
⚡ #4 SIMPLY IN FRONT ($28.24) gets up to win the $800,000 First Lady Stakes (G1) at @Keeneland. This is the first Grade 1 win for the four-year-old Summer Front filly. @kenneallyracing trains, @_benacurtis up. pic.twitter.com/dYiChKbKz7
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 4, 2025
Saturday, Keeneland
FIRST LADY S.-GI, $776,750, Keeneland, 10-4, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:34.76, fm.
1–SIMPLY IN FRONT, 125, f, 4, by Summer Front
1st Dam: Complicated, by Blame
2nd Dam: Consequence, by El Prado (Ire)
3rd Dam: Educated Risk, by Mr. Prospector
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($115,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Colebrook Farms; B-William Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY); T-Eddie Kenneally; J-Ben Curtis. $458,800. Lifetime Record: 16-6-4-0, $2,868,611. *1/2 to Honor D Lady (Honor Code), MGSW-USA, MGSP-Can, $745,942; 1/2 to Churchtown (Air Force Blue), SW-USA, SP-Can, $373,259; 1/2 to And One More Time (Omaha Beach), GISW, $310,422. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Segesta, 125, f, 4, by Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Antonoe (GISW-USA, GSW-Fr, $565,377), by First Defence
2nd Dam: Ixora, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: Imroz, by Nureyev
O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $148,000.
3–Choisya (GB), 125, m, 5, by Night of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Fragrancy (Ire) (SP-Eng, $144,080), by Singspiel (Ire)
2nd Dam: Zibet (GB), by Kris (GB)
3rd Dam: Zonda (GB), by Fabulous Dancer
O-Rabbah Bloodstock LLC; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-Simon Crisford. $60,125.
Margins: NK, NK, HD. Odds: 13.12, 6.61, 4.44.
Also Ran: Deep Satin, Pin Up Betty, Heredia (GB), Dynamic Pricing (Ire), Ozara (Ire), Jody's Pride, Raqiya (Ire), Nanda Dea (Arg). Scratched: Aussie Girl (Ire), Crevalle d'Oro, Great Generation (Ire), Simmering (GB), Special Wan (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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