Gift List scored her first Stateside victory in style with a dominant score in Churchill's GII Edgewood S. Friday. Previously undefeated favorite Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), last seen winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, faded to fifth.
Sent off at 4-1, Gift List tracked from a ground-saving third as the chalk dictated terms, clocking early splits of :24.32 and :49.03. Biding her time on the backstretch run, Gift List dove between horses to overtake Aunt Pearl at the top of the stretch and powered clear instantly, roaring home to a dazzling score. Barista filled the place spot. Aunt Pearl was one-paced in the lane, swallowed up by the field to be fifth at the line.
“Off the last race, in her first U.S. debut, she gave a great run that day, in a race that had no pace,” said trainer Brian Lynch. “She's really trained so well from her last start to this, even though we had to work her on the dirt, which was a new thing to her. She was very comfortable getting over it, and was getting plenty out of her works. I had a good feeling going into this race, that if Aunt Pearl were to stub her toe, we'd have a good shot. She was a big obstacle, no doubt. Undefeated filly. Breeders' Cup winner. But we all know, and I've run into it myself with Oscar Performance, some of them take to this course and some just don't. It had a little bit of give in it today, and my filly had some good races on soft and heavy turf. Maybe that had something to do with it.”
“I didn't have any special instructions today; just play the break and go from there,” said winning rider Javier Castellano. “She broke fine and I got a very good spot. Then when I asked her she gave me some amazing acceleration. She was a special winner today.”
A second-out graduate at Newcastle Aug. 2, Gift List won again at Redcar 27 days later. Runner-up next out at Newmarket Oct. 3, she was second again in the Radley S. at Newbury Oct. 24. Privately purchased by the Amermans and sent to Brian Lynch, she was second in Keeneland's GII Appalachian S. when making her U.S. debut Apr. 3.
As for the beaten favorite, BSW/Crow Bloodstock tweeted: “Aunt Pearl came out of the race sound. Unfortunately she bled 3/5, her first time bleeding. She ran her entire 2yo year without Lasix, and we are hopeful we will be able to get her back to top form this season. When she is at her best, she has devastating speed that carries.”
Pedigree Notes:
Gift List is the 11th graded winner and 17th black-type scorer for her sire Bated Breath. Her GSW dam Birthstone is a daughter of GSW & G1SP Baya (Nureyev) and a half-sister to SW & MGSP Songcraft (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}). Birthstone has only produced one foal since the winner, a now juvenile filly by Havana Gold (Ire).
Friday, Churchill Downs
EDGEWOOD S. PRESENTED BY NEWPORT RACING & GAMING-GII, $300,000, Churchill Downs, 4-30, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.52, gd.
1–GIFT LIST (GB), 118, f, 3, by Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: Birthstone (GB) (GSW-Fr), by Machiavellian
2nd Dam: Baya, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Barger, by Riverman
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (23,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-James Ortega Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Brian A Lynch; J-Javier Castellano. $182,280. Lifetime Record: SP-Eng, 7-3-4-0, $281,814. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Barista, 118, f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Callista, by Tapit. ($100,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Miacomet Farm & Michael A Pietrangelo; B-Courtlandt Farm (KY); T-James E Baker. $58,800.
3–Line Dancing, 118, f, 3, Speightstown–Choreograph, by Dynaformer. O/B-Bass Stables LLC (KY); T-Michael R Matz. $29,400.
Margins: 4 1/4, 2HF, NO. Odds: 4.40, 23.10, 21.40.
Also Ran: Queen of the Green, Aunt Pearl (Ire), Postnup, Zaajel.
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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