Favored In Italian went wire-to-wire to give owner Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown their second graded victory of the afternoon in the GIII Honey Fox S. at Gulfstream Park Saturday. The chestnut filly rushed up to take the lead into the first turn. Allowed to set pedestrian splits, the favorite shrugged off a pair of challengers in upper stretch and skipped clear to the wire.
“It went perfect,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. “We didn't want to go head to head, but my filly outbroke all of them so I said, 'I'm gonna go.' From there, she just took me all the way. I didn't expect to be on the lead. It looked like there were a couple of horses coming out of sprint races, but when the gates opened, everything changed. She was on top, so I just said, 'Go ahead.'”
In Italian was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following her front-running 3 1/2-length maiden score at Belmont last May before being sidelined by illness. She returned with a 4 1/4-length tally in a Jan. 12 allowance at Tampa Bay Downs last time out.
“We really liked this horse last year,” Brown said. “She was very impressive at Belmont and then she got a bad case of pneumonia. She had to be stopped on and rehabbed. I want to give Bruce Jackson credit down at Fair Hill. He rehabbed her and sent her back in good shape late in the year at Payson Park. She's back and picking up where she left off and should have a really good career.”
Pedigree Notes:
Florentina, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Gathering (Aus) (Tale of the Cat), has a 2-year-old filly by Kingman (GB). Her 3-year-old colt by that same sire, the unraced Spanish Empire (GB), sold to Tom Magnier for $1.8 million at the 2021 Magic Millions January sale. The mare was bred to Yes Yes Yes (Aus) (Rubick {Aus}) last year.
In Italian became the 146 worldwide graded winner for her sire, Dubawi.
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HONEY FOX S.-GIII, $150,000, Gulfstream, 3-5, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:35.16, fm.
1–IN ITALIAN (GB), 118, 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' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN. (475,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Peter M. Brant;
B-Fairway Thoroughbreds (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz,
Jr. $87,420. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $157,220. Werk Nick
Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Wakanaka (Ire), 120, f, 4, Power (GB)–Storyline (Ire), by
Kodiac (GB). (£3,500 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Team Valor
International and Barber, Gary; B-Mrs Jean Brennan (IRE);
T-William I. Mott. $28,200.
3–Navratilova, 123, f, 4, Medaglia d'Oro–Centre Court, by
Smart Strike. O/B-G. Watts Humphrey, Jr.; T-George R. Arnold. $14,100.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 1HF. Odds: 2.70, 7.10, 26.40.
Also Ran: Sugar Fix, Jouster, Alms, Bipartisanship (GB), Gift List (GB), Lovely Luvy, Katama Moonlight, Quinoa Tifah.
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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