By Alan Carasso
'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) capped a monumental week both at the track and in the Tattersalls sales ring for her world-renowned sire, with a front-running defeat of her commonly owned 'Rising Star' stablemate Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) in Saturday's GI First Lady S. at Keeneland. It was a second straight First Lady for owner Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown, who saddled Blowout (GB) (Dansili {GB}) to defeat Regal Glory 12 months back. In Italian is a sixth winner of the First Lady for Brown and fifth in a row.
“It means I've had a lot of good horses sent to me by good owners and great people I'm working with. That's what it comes down to,” said Brown.
Just the third most-fancied of the conditioner's triumvirate, In Italian stumbled noticeably at the break, but she quickly recovered and led them under the line and into the first turn, chased from the rail by Vigilantes Way (Medaglia d'Oro) and stable companion Technical Analysis (GB) (Kingman {GB}) punching the breeze from up close. From there it was a gap off to Regal Glory, with Princess Grace (Karakontie {Jpn}) and Market Rumor (Afleet Alex) the joint back markers.
In Italian continued to show the way while under an easy hold from Joel Rosario entering the final half-mile, at which point Regal Glory was allowed to tack on to the first flight of horses, poised to strike when the real running began. In Italian was asked to sprint in upper stretch, pinched a break and held sway to the wire, as Regal Glory–fastest home in :22.65 and having covered an additional 20 feet (about two lengths)–made belated progress. In Italian covered her final quarter-mile in :22.80.
Named a 'Rising Star' at second asking last May, In Italian–a 475,000gns graduate of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale–was shelved, returning to take a Tampa allowance Jan. 12. Wire-to-wire winner of Gulfstream's GIII Honey Fox S. Mar. 5, the chestnut was runner-up behind a spectacular performance from stablemate Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the GII Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill May 7 and was third to Regal Glory in the GI Just A Game S. June 11 ahead of an 8-1 surprise in the GI Diana S. at Saratoga July 16.
“She's developed–we got her out there on the lead, letting her do what she wants to do,” Brown replied when asked by Scott Hazelton what has led to In Italian's improvement. “We really like to come to this race. The only thing I was worried about was the layoff. Mr. Brant and I got together, and I wanted to run her in between, but he wanted a fresh horse for the Breeders' Cup, and that decision proved right. She overcame the layoff today and got a good prep she needed going forward.”
Two of Brown's previous First Lady winners have gone on to next-out glory at the Breeders' Cup. Dayatthespa (City Zip) scored in 2014 en route to victory in the Filly & Mare Turf, while Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) followed her win here in 2019 with another in the Mile. Brant also campaigned former 'Rising Star' Demarchelier (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who holds court at Claiborne Farm.
Pedigree Notes:
A half-sister to Villa Carlotta (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), GSP-Aus; and Fasano (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), SP-Aus, In Italian was bred by John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds and her dam Florentina was bred back Southern Hemisphere time to Juddmonte stallion Kingman (GB) in September 2018 before returning to Australia. That produce, a colt foaled Aug. 2, 2019 now named Spanish Empire (GB), sold to Tom Magnier for A$1.8m at the Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale in 2021. Florentina returned to Banstead Manor to visit Kingman in the Northern Hemisphere autumn in 2019 and, returned to Australia, she was subsequently sold for A$650,000 at the 2020 Inglis Chairman's Sale.
Florentina produced a filly in September 2020, a newly turned 2-year-old now named Fiorenza (Aus) that RNAd for A$550,000 at this year's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, but missed the last two seasons to 2019 The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes (Aus), a son of former 'TDN Rising Star' Rubick (Aus).
Camilleri, a successful Australian businessman, has had much success breeding horses, but none more so than the irrepressible Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), who coincidentally gave birth to her first foal–a filly by Pierro (Aus)–Oct. 7.
Dubawi was represented by no fewer than eight million-guinea yearlings during Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, topped by a pair of colts that each fetched 1.6-million gns from Godolphin and Japan's JS Company, respectively.
Saturday, Keeneland
FIRST LADY S. PRESENTED BY UK HEALTHCARE-GI, $683,837, Keeneland, 10-8, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:33.22, fm.
1–IN ITALIAN (GB), 124, f, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Florentina (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $250,958),
by Redoute's Choice (Aus)
2nd Dam: Celebria (Aus), by Peintre Celebre
3rd Dam: Twyla (Aus), by Danehill
'TDN Rising Star' (475,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Peter M.
Brant; B-Fairway Thoroughbreds (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Joel
Rosario. $397,963. Lifetime Record: 8-5-2-1, $989,183. Click
for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk
Nick Rating: A. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Regal Glory, 124, m, 6, by Animal Kingdom
1st Dam: Mary's Follies (MGSW, $338,889),
by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Catch the Queen, by Miswaki
3rd Dam: Wave to the Queen, by Wavering Monarch
'TDN Rising Star' ($925,000 5yo '21 KEEJAN). O-Peter Brant;
B-Paul P Pompa (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $148,125.
3–Princess Grace, 124, m, 5, by Karakontie (Jpn)
1st Dam: Masquerade (MSP, $233,873),
by Silent Name (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Present Colors, by Prized
3rd Dam: Blue and Green, by Miswaki
O/B-John Moore & Susan Moore (KY); T-Michael Stidham.
$74,063.
Margins: 1, 3 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.87, 1.05, 10.06.
Also Ran: Technical Analysis (Ire), Market Rumor, Vigilantes Way. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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