Already a four-time Grade I runner-up, including valiant performances in this year's GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) posted a well-deserved first win at the highest level in Saturday's GI American Oaks at Santa Anita.
Placed in a tracking third while saving all the ground beneath Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Daddys Lil Darling was tipped out at the top of the stretch and set her sights on favored MGISW New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro). The 2-1 second choice hit the front in the stretch and dug down deep to hold off the fast-finishing Madam Dancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) by a half-length. Kathy's Song (Candy Ride {Arg}) was up for third.
“She was second in the Kentucky Oaks, second in the [GI] Ashland, but it was one of those things,” winning trainer Ken McPeek said of the Normandy Farm homebred. “What are you going to do but keep trying? We wanted to keep her in straight 3-year-old filly competition before the year was out. Fortunately, she stayed on form.
“It was a bit frustrating because she was always competitive but didn't have things go her way. She's a special filly and you just have to keep trying with those kind. She tries hard on any kind of going, and that makes a trainer's job pretty easy.”
Winning owner/breeder Nancy Polk of Normandy Farm added, “I was feeling excitement and pure panic at the end there. Madam Dancealot was closing and I thought, 'Oh no!' But she hung on and she did very well. We've been working for this Grade I win for a while so it's wonderful to have it under our belt.”
Smith said, “I didn't want to have to wait for room. The horse right in front of me [New Money Honey] spread the turn a little but I knew she was going to drop back in. I went outside of her anyway and she dropped back in and I was able to really get a good momentum going at that point which I needed because Corey [Nakatani aboard Madam Dancealot] was coming on my outside.”
The 2016 GII Pocahontas S. heroine also has a runner-up finish in last year's GI Darley Alcibiades S. and this term's GI Central Bank Ashland S. on her resume. Withdrawn after running off in the warm up for the G1 Investec Oaks in early June, Daddys Lil Darling was a solid fourth behind New Money Honey in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational July 8 and was freshened after a fifth-place finish in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks at the Spa July 23. She got back on track with a decisive tally in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs Sept. 10, then came up a half-length short in the QEII Cup. She entered off a rallying third over yielding going in Churchill's GII Mrs. Revere S. Nov. 24.
Pedigree Notes:
Daddys Lil Darling becomes the 24th Grade/Group 1 winner for the brilliant Scat Daddy and seventh in 2017 (Mendelssohn, Sioux Nation, Dacita, Caravaggio, Lady Aurelia, Ruby Love). Daddys Lil Darling is the most recent produce from Miss Hot Salsa, who also produced GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday). Normandy Farm's Nancy Polk purchased Miss Hot Salsa in foal to Mr. Greeley for $100,000 at the 2003 KEENOV sale. Daddys Lil Darling's second dam won a Grade III at Golden Gate.
Saturday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN OAKS-GI, $301,380, SA, 12-30, 3yo, f, 1 1/4mT, 2:00.11, fm.
1–DADDYS LIL DARLING, 120, f, 3, by Scat Daddy
1st Dam: Miss Hot Salsa (SW & GSP, $227,756), by Houston
2nd Dam: Miss High Blade, by Highland Blade
3rd Dam: Darling Miss Q., by Alydar
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Normandy Farm (KY); T-Kenneth G.
McPeek; J-Mike E. Smith. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 15-4-5-1,
$1,138,405. *1/2 to Victoryasecret (Victory Gallop), MSW,
$242,485; Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday), GISW,
$1,266,631. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for eNicks report & 5- cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”fleetwood-bloodstock-mating-recommendation”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Madam Dancealot (Ire), 122, f, 3, by Sir Prancealot (Ire)
1st Dam: Sisal (Ire), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Ship's Twine (Ire), by Slip Anchor (GB)
3rd Dam: Twine (Ire), by Thatching (Ire)
(4,761gns RNA 2yo '16 TATABR; £100,000 2yo '16 GOFLON;
€260,000 2yo '16 GOFFCH). O-Slam Dunk Racing; B-Tally Ho
Stud (IRE); T-Richard Baltas. $60,000.
3–Kathy's Song, 120, f, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)&log=">Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Strawberry Sense, by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Strawberry Reason, by Strawberry Road (Aus)
3rd Dam: Pretty Reason, by Hail to Reason
($210,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $190,000 3yo '17 FTKHRA).
O-Abbondanza Racing, LLC, Premier Racing Club & Jerry
McClanahan; B-Payson Stud Inc (KY); T-Richard Baltas.
$36,000.[bullet ad=”stone-farm-raised-sold”][bullet ad=”taylor-made-private-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”elite-sales-grad”]Margins: HF, 1HF, HF. Odds: 2.00, 4.60, 18.60.
Also Ran: New Money Honey, Beau Recall (Ire), Pantsonfire (Ire), Coachwhip, Bernina Star, Desert Duchess. Scratched: Rymska (Fr). 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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