By Alan Carasso
Peter Brant's progressive Bleecker Street (Quality Road) saved her best for last, as she split rivals decisively and shot past odds-on 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) inside the final eighth of a mile to cause a 7-1 surprise in Saturday's GIII Endeavour S. at Tampa, remaining perfect in four starts in the process.
Content to linger in the latter third of the field and riding the rail as the once-beaten Lady Speightspeare prompted longshot Katama Princess (Malibu Moon) through comfortable early fractions, the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga acquisition continued to scrape paint down the backstretch while always within striking distance if good enough. Full of run and traveling beautifully in the slipstream of Stunning Princess (Cairo Prince) as they hit the top of the lane, Bleecker Street went for a run between rivals entering the final furlong, inhaled the chalk with about 50 yards to race and kicked clear impressively, despite failing to change her leads in the final stages.
“She had a good post, the trip worked out real good and she showed a super turn of foot,” said trainer Chad Brown, who elected to scratch 'TDN Rising Star' and recent Tampa allowance winner In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) earlier in the day. “This filly took time to come around, and my whole staff has done an unbelievable job with her. And Mr. Brant…is so patient. We scratched In Italian because we thought bringing her back inside a month was a little soon, and it worked out so well.”
The gray opened her account in her belated career debut at the Jersey Shore last August, graduating by a half-length and made the most of a soft introduction to allowance company with a 1 1/2-length success at the Meadowlands Oct. 23. Favored at 17-10 for her seasonal debut over course and distance Jan. 8, she was short of room as the real running was about to start, but turned in a flying finish similar to Saturday's to best Pythoness (Liam's Map) by a half-length.
Pedigree Notes:
Ostensibly named for an east-west thoroughfare in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan, Bleecker Street is the 55th stakes winner and 30th at the graded level for Lane's End's Quality Road and is bred on the cross over Danzig-line mares responsible for Illuminant, winner on the grass of the GI Gamely S. Bleecker Street is the first foal for her stakes-placed dam, who was purchased by Branch Equine for $75,000 in foal to Honor Code at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale. The filly's dual stakes-placed second dam is a half-sister to Nan (High Yield), dam of GIII Selene S. winner Power Gal (Jpn) (Empire Maker). Lemon Liqueur, who was RNAd for $19,000 when offered not in foal at KEENOV in 2018, is the dam of a 2-year-old filly by Always Dreaming, a yearling filly by Flatter and is due to Not This Time this season.
Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs
ENDEAVOUR S.-GIII, $150,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 2-5, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.91, fm.
1–BLEECKER STREET, 118, f, 4, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Lemon Liqueur (SP), by Exchange Rate
2nd Dam: Limoncella, by Lemon Drop Kid
3rd Dam: Trip Around Heaven, by Halo
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($400,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG). O-Peter M Brant; B-Branch Equine LLC (KY); T-Chad C Brown; J-Hector Rafael Diaz Jr. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $165,900. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lady Speightspeare, 118, f, 4, Speightstown–Lady Shakespeare, by Theatrical (Ire). 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Charles E Fipke (KY); T-Roger L Attfield. $30,000.
3–Stunning Princess, 118, f, 4, Cairo Prince–Psychadelacized, by Distorted Humor. 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($95,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-R A Hill Stable & Brereton C Jones; B-Brereton C Jones (KY); T-Danny Gargan. $15,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 7.00, 0.90, 4.50.
Also Ran: Jezebel's Kitten, Oyster Box, Nantucket Red, Katama Moonlight, Pythoness, Morning Molly. Scratched: In Italian (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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