There was no glass slipper, but the royal blue silks of Godolphin floated home the fairest of winners all the same as Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal) claimed the second leg of the Turf Triple in the GII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes.
With only one blemish on her record, Cinderella's Dream has carried said silks (dyed in a color also known–rather appropriately–as 'queen blue' or 'imperial blue') to six victories. She was a neck winner on unveiling last May at Lingfield and then steadily worked her way through the ranks from there, winning an allowance at Thirsk as her final race of 2023 before resurfacing in Meydan this past February just in time to win another allowance. She secured her first black-type victory in the Jumeirah 1000 Guineas in March.
Her lone losing race was a head-scratching effort in the G1 Qipco 1000 Guineas May 5 at Newmarket, where she was briefly in contention but ultimately faded to finish seventh.
Sent to America for the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational July 6, she proved she was back to her winning ways and in style, claiming her first trophy at the highest level and setting a new course record in the process.
On the back of that effort, with no sign telling them otherwise, the betting public enthusiastically supported Cinderella's Dream here to the tune of 1-5 favoritism, and she again proved there was no stopping her. Settled in the back of a short field of five, the eventual winner was in no hurry early as :24.75 and :49.80 early splits were posted, and only moved closer to the leading flight at about the half-mile mark. The looming danger coming four wide off the far bend, William Buick could not have been any more confident as he called on the filly to uncork her ferocious turn of foot.
As the distance between her and Kathrynmarissa (American Pharoah) rapidly shortened, Cinderella's Dream overhauled that rival outside the sixteenth pole and cleared away under a hand ride to win by 1 1/2 emphatic lengths. Dancing N Dixie (Neolithic) came late on the scene to pick up third.
“She's obviously a classy filly and the class of the race,” said Charlie Appleby. “The only reservation I had is that she put up such a big figure there last time, that I was always concerned whether there would be a bounce out of that. To be fair to the team, they were always confident that she was in good order.”
“Going forward, I would say we would look to maybe the [GI] E. P. Taylor [Sept. 14 at Woodbine] or give her a little more of a break and go for the [GI] Queen Elizabeth [II Challenge Cup] at Keeneland [Oct. 12] and then take a view of a Breeders' Cup–but we'll see and we'll see what's around. What she would take to that meeting would be plenty of experience and, as you know in the Breeders' Cup, you need that and a draw.”
Buick, confirming the ease his mount's performance suggested, mentioned never really having a moment of worry despite the slow fractions in front of him. “It was a bit messy, the pace, and it was slow, and obviously Johnny [Velazquez, aboard No. 4, Macanga] opted to stay off the fence and then Frankie [Dettori, aboard No. 3, Kathynmarissa] nipped up the inside and made a race of it.”
“I was always comfortable with my filly, I never really had a moment's worry. She responds so quickly to anything I ask her. Once I got in the back of Tyler's [Gaffalione, aboard No. 7, Movin' On Up] filly into the stretch, she had a double handful.”
Cinderella's Dream wins the Grade 2 @FasigTiptonCo Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes with @WilliamBuickX up for trainer Charlie Appleby and @godolphin! pic.twitter.com/p5E18uOMaZ
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 2, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Cinderella's Dream is out of a winning daughter of multiple Group 1-placed High Heeled (Ire) (High Chaparral (Ire), who herself is a half-sister to the dam of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and GI E. P. Taylor Stakes heroine Just the Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}). She is the first offspring for Espadrille (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to make the races after a 2020 filly by Lope de Vega (Ire) died before Cinderella's Dream was on the ground. That mare's last registered offspring is the 2-year-old filly Blue Laced (GB) (Farhh {GB}).
This is the female family of GI Woodbine Mile-placed and multiple graded winning Ferneley (Ire) as well as GSW Iberian (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and German Listed winner Pabouche (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Friday, Saratoga
FASIG-TIPTON SARATOGA OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GII, $388,000, Saratoga, 8-2, 3yo, f, 1 3/16mT, 1:54.92, fm.
1–CINDERELLA'S DREAM (GB), 121, f, 3, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Espadrille (GB), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: High Heeled (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
3rd Dam: Uncharted Haven (GB), by Turtle Island (Ire)
O-Godolphin LLC; B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charles Appleby; J-William Buick. $220,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-US, SW-UAE, 7-6-0-0, $717,956. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Kathynmarissa, 121, f, 3, American Pharoah–La Dalila (Chi), by Milt's Overture. 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Michael J Caruso & Michael Dubb; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Richard E Dutrow Jr. $80,000.
3–Dancing N Dixie, 121, f, 3, Neolithic–Foolhearted Woman, by Uncaptured. ($35,000 2yo '23 OBSOPN). O-Gary Barber, Rocky Top Stables & LEMB Stables; B-Freddie Hyatt (FL); T-Mark E Casse. $48,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3, 2. Odds: 0.30, 12.30, 6.30.
Also Ran: Movin' On Up, Macanga. Scratched: Greenfinch, Segesta. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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