Elsa overcame her 11-1 odds while making her route debut to collect her first taste of black-type in Saturday's GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar. Alertly out of the three hole while receiving Lasix for the first time, the bay was taken back to a rail-hugging third by Joe Bravo as longshot Courteous showed the way through opening fractions of :22.83 and :47.07. Elsa came off the rail as Bravo stepped on the gas at the quarter pole and swung out five wide and full of run turning for home. In front midstretch, the filly was clear late of game frontrunner Courteous, who just held on over closing favorite Pivottina (Fr).
“She ran good and she was in the right spot at the finish,” said Bravo.
A debut winner in a 5 1/2-furlong turf test at Laurel July 20, Elsa flattened to finish fifth as the favorite in Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. Aug. 15. Favored again for her latest, Laurel's six-furlong Selima S. Sept. 22, she never factored and came home seventh over the yielding turf.
“The firm track definitely made a big difference. She didn't like the soft ground [when seventh in her last start at Laurel in September],” said winning trainer Mike Stidham. “They went three-quarters in :16 [in Maryland], she broke sharp and then just started retreating backwards and that's not her. We couldn't wait to get her out here.”
Pedigree Notes:
Elsa is the fourth live foal out of Abtasaamah, a daughter of the dual Grade II winner Fleet Lady (Avenue of Flags). Also runner-up in the GI Milady Breeders' Cup H., Fleet Lady is responsible for juvenile champion Midshipman (Unbridled's Song) in addition to graded scoring Fast Cookie (Deputy Minister). While winning over a half million on the racetrack, Fast Cookie is becoming even more accomplished in the breeding shed, having produced three-time Grade I winning Frosted (Tapit) and graded winner Indulgent (Bernardini). This represents the extended family of French champion sophomore Salse (Topsider).
Subsequent to Elsa, Abasaamah produced a filly by Street Sense last season and followed up with a colt by Tiznow this term. She was bred back to Honor Code.
Saturday, Del Mar
JIMMY DURANTE S.-GIII, $102,415, Del Mar, 11-24, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.68, fm.
1–ELSA, 120, f, 2, by Animal Kingdom
1st Dam: Abtasaamah, by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags
3rd Dam: Dear Mimi, by Roberto
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O/B-Godolphin LLC (KY); T-Michael Stidham; J-Joe Bravo.
$60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $94,800. Werk Nick Rating: Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Courteous, 120, f, 2, Midnight Lute–Famous, by Vindication.
($200,000 Ylg '17 FTSAUG). O-Claiborne Farm, Perry R Bass II
Ramona S. Bass & Adele Dilschneider; B-Peter E. Blum
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $20,000.
3–Pivottina (Fr), 120, f, 2, Vision d'Etat (Fr)–Pixy (GB), by Pivotal
(GB). (€8,000 Ylg '17 DEANOV). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred
Partners and ERJ Racing, LLC; B-E.A.R.L. Haras De Grandcamp
(FR); T-H. Graham Motion. $12,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, HD, 1HF. Odds: 11.40, 28.40, 2.20.
Also Ran: Velvet Queen, Kookie Gal, Lakerball, Discreet Diva, Creative Instinct, Cedars of Lebanon (Ire), Monette (Fr), Italia (Spa), Thriving (GB). Scratched: Posh Holly (Ire).
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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