By Alan Carasso
Having sent out Klaravich Stable's Competitionofideas (Speightstown) to win his first GI American Oaks two years ago, trainer Chad Brown was back at it again Saturday afternoon, as Klaravich's Duopoly (Animal Kingdom) was given a beautifully rated ride from the front by Frenchman Flavien Prat and had plenty left late to post a mild upset at odds of 6-1. Going to Vegas (Goldencents) stayed on gamely for second ahead of favored 'TDN Rising Star' Sharing (Speightstown), who just earned a photo for third.
Duopoly appeared the speed of the field and so it proved, as Prat kicked her straight into the lead as they raced down the hill, but John Velazquez was content on keeping Sharing closer to whatever pace eventuated. Duopoly switched off nicely through opening splits of :24.91 and :49.67, but the same could not be said for Sharing, who wanted to overrace and pulled hard through the middle stages. Prat managed to slacken the pace further still over the next internal quarter-mile (:25.22) and looked to have the race at his mercy turning for home. Duopoly, unsurprisingly, had plenty left to give and sprinted her final two furlongs in :22.63 en route to a reasonably easy victory.
“I thought on the backside someone was going to hook up with me, but lucky enough nobody did,” said Prat. “We had a pretty nice trip. She was full of herself and travelling perfect. When I asked her she really kicked in.”
Duopoly wired a field of Monmouth maidens to graduate second time out July 2 and repeated the dose in Saratoga allowance company Aug. 21, but was unable to find the front as the favorite in the Oct. 16 GIII Pin Oak Valley View S. at Keeneland and weakened to be fifth. She was back to her pacesetting ways in the Nov. 15 Winter Memories S. at Aqueduct, defeating Saturday's Tropical Park Oaks winner Vigilantes Way (Medaglia d'Oro) into third.
Pedigree Notes:
Duopoly is the third top-level and seventh graded/group winner for the expatriated Animal Kingdom and the sire's second Grade I winner this term, joining Jaipur S. heroine Oleksandra (Aus). Justaroundmidnight is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Quality Road and a yearling Kitten's Joy colt that fetched $275,000 at this year's Keeneland September sale that has since been exported to England. The mare was barren to Kitten's Joy's son Oscar Performance for 2020 and was returned to that stallion this past season.
Saturday, Santa Anita
AMERICAN OAKS-GI, $302,500, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo, f, 1 1/4mT, 2:01.61, fm.
1–DUOPOLY, 124, f, 3, by Animal Kingdom
1st Dam: Justaroundmidnight (Ire) (GSW, $161,948), by
Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Strategy (GB), by Machiavellian
3rd Dam: Island Story (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($160,000 Ylg
'18 KEESEP). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Jamm, Ltd. (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record:
6-4-0-0, $308,034. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Going to Vegas, 124, f, 3, by Goldencents
1st Dam: Hard to Resist (SW, $284,538), by Johannesburg
2nd Dam: Anja, by Gulch
3rd Dam: Knoosh, by Storm Bird
O-Harry Bederian, Harout Kamberian, Hagop Nakkashian &
Richard Baltas; B-J. Kirk & Judy Robison (KY); T-Richard Baltas.
$60,000.
3–Sharing, 124, f, 3, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Shared Account (GISW, $1,649,427), by Pleasantly Perfect
2nd Dam: Silk n' Sapphire, by Smart Strike
3rd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
($350,000 Ylg '18 FTSAUG). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
& Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Sagamore Farm (MD);
T-H. Graham Motion. $36,000.
Margins: 2, 3/4, NO. Odds: 6.00, 14.80, 1.60.
Also Ran: Red Lark (Ire), Capital Structure (GB), Luck Money, Miss Addie Pray, Neige Blanche (Fr), California Kook, Guitty (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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