When last they met, Finest City finished eight lengths adrift of Fantastic Style in Santa Anita's GIII Las Flores S. Mar. 20. Sent off at 8-1 to Fantastic Style's long odds-on quote, the chestnut was given an outstanding ride by Kent Desormeaux and ran past the favorite in the final 50 yards to cause the upset.
A first-level allowance winner at Del Mar Oct. 31, earning a lofty 93 Beyer Speed Figure, Finest City was a distant second as the favorite in a local allowance Dec. 3 before weakening to sixth in the GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita Dec. 26. A determined second to Lost Bus in that one's 64-1 upset of the GII Santa Monica S. Jan. 23, she was third in a Feb. 11 allowance and was looking to even the score with Fantastic Style here.
Ridden well back in the field as Thirteen Arrows (Indian Charlie) was intent on getting the early lead from Fantastic Style, Finest City traveled deep on the track, but Desormeaux made the key decision to angle her in at the entrance to the far turn to save some ground. Behind horses on the bend, she came back out four wide at the head of the stretch, began to bear down on Fantastic Style and Lost Bus to their outside entering the final furlong and edged clear late to score in new track-record time.
“We knew we had a very nice filly and we've just had to give her time,” said Ian Kruljac, son of trainer Eric Kruljac, who was saddling his first graded winner. “It paid off today. The post really helped her. She likes to run free and clear and she's had some trips where's she's been stuck inside. I thought we could win today because she is all heart and I really didn't think we had seen her best yet. The way she settled we might try to stretch her out. I want to thank the owners [Seltzer Thoroughbreds], my father and everyone at the barn for believing in me.''
Finest City, who was purchased by her breeder in utero for $37,000 at Keeneland November in 2011, is the first foal to race from her dam, a half-sister to GISW Burning Roma (Rubiano).
Be Envied is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Grand Prix (Tale of the Cat), who breezed three furlongs in :36.40 for trainer Gary Mandella at Santa Anita Apr. 20. She is represented by a yearling colt of this year by Tale of Ekati (Tale of the Cat), who was foaled in India after the mare was led out unsold on a bid of $24,000 at Keeneland November in 2014 and subsequently exported.
Saturday, Los Alamitos Race Course
GREAT LADY M S.-GII, $200,690, LRC, 4-23, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:14.48 (NTR), ft.
1–#@FINEST CITY, 119, f, 4, by City Zip
1st Dam: Be Envied (MSP, $200,697), by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: While Rome Burns, by Overskate
3rd Dam: Fiddlesticks, by Northern Dancer
($50,000 Wlg '12 KEENOV; $85,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Seltzer
Thoroughbreds; B-HnR Nothhaft Horseracing LLC (PA); T-Ian
Kruljac; J-Kent J. Desormeaux. $120,000. Lifetime Record:
10-3-3-1, $275,594. Werk Nick Rating: No Rating. First SW for
this cross. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”cobrafarm-pinhook”][bullet ad=”bluewater-shell-big-fish”][bullet ad=”hunter-valley-sold-by”][bullet ad=”pa-bred”]2–Fantastic Style, 124, f, 4, Harlan's Holiday–Ruby Summer,
by Mr. Greeley. ($40,000 RNA Ylg '13 KEESEP; $525,000 2yo '14
OBSAPR). O-Kaleem Shah, Inc.; B-C. Kidder, N. Cole & E. Voute
(KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.[bullet ad=”lanni-hillndale-purchased”][bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”]3–Lost Bus, 124, f, 4, Bring the Heat–Frysland, by Stravinsky.
O-Terry C. Lovingier; B-John R. Haagsma & Wesley Ward (CA);
T-Gary Sherlock. $24,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HD, 3 1/4. Odds: 8.80, 0.50, 8.80.
Also Ran: Minks Aprise, Dr. Fager's Gal, Ben's Duchess, Thirteen Arrows.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
