By Alan Carasso
Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal), who lost her undefeated record when beaten just over four lengths into seventh in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket May 5, atoned for that defeat in no uncertain terms, flashing home powerfully through the final furlong to take out Saturday's GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at Aqueduct.
With fellow once-beaten She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) taking the lion's share of the pari-mutuel activity at odds of 4-5, Cinderella's Dream was a relatively generous 7-2 at the off and was content to take back to sit second-last into the first turn. Segesta (Ghostzapper), recent winner of the local prep in the GII Wonder Again Stakes, showed the way from the favorite, who punched the breeze from third before rolling forward to sit closest to the pacesetter turning up the backstretch.
Cinderella's Dream was guided over to the inside behind a half-mile split in :48.96, and the speed remained steady at best as they approached the end of the backstretch. The homebred was felt for three furlongs from home and was maneuvered off the inside nearing the quarter pole, appearing full of run if the gaps came. Steered some five or six wide into the lane by William Buick, Cinderella's Dream was shifted off the heels of GIII Edgewood Stakes winner Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in upper stretch, and, with nothing but green grass in front of her, motored home to score an ultimately cozy victory. Segesta held for second ahead of She Feels Pretty, who was given every conceivable chance by John Velazquez, but was simply not good enough on the afternoon.
“It was the plan to get her to relax early and to come with a run, but I probably ended up farther back than I really wanted to,” said Buick. “She was posted a little wide in eight, and I just didn't want to cover ground, but look, she picked up really well.
“From the quarter-pole, I always felt I was going to get there. She showed when she ran in Dubai in the winter that she has a real good kick, but I was a little bit impressed with her there because I thought the Juddmonte filly who made the run, she got it her own way in front, she wasn't going very fast and Johnny [Velazquez, aboard She Feels Pretty] sat in the best position in the race. So my filly had to pick up well to pick those two fillies off.”
Victorious in modest events at Lingfield on debut last May and at Thirsk in September, Cinderella's Dream was part of the Charlie Appleby team in Dubai over the winter. Having made a winning reappearance in the Feb. 2 Jumeirah Fillies Classic over 1400 meters, the next logical spot was the Jumeirah 1000 Guineas going the metric mile Mar. 2.
Settled midfield on that occasion, Cinderella's Dream suddenly surged forward while drifting out, and passing the 700 meters, camera shots confirmed that Buick's saddle had slipped and he had also lost his irons. It was all the same to the filly, as she continued to find and put some 5 1/2 lengths on her rivals in an effort that needed to be seen to be believed (video). A 12-1 chance in the Guineas, Cinderella's Dream traveled nicely on the far side for Mickael Barzalona, but could not quite go with the winners, finishing 4 1/4 lengths in back of last-to-first upsetter Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}). The Guineas form was flattered when runner-up Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) returned to defeat Elmalka into fourth in the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot June 21.
“She ran a creditable race in the [1000] Guineas really, on ground that probably might not have suited her either,” said Appleby. “Her training has gone well and she's been based in Saratoga. She came in yesterday and the team were very happy with her preparation going into it. The plan was always to drop in and ride the race that we rode and off the turn, all we just needed was the splits. Once she leveled off there and accelerated, we were pretty confident.”
Pedigree Notes:
Cinderella's Dream is the 29th worldwide Group 1/Grade I winner and 86th group/graded winner for her late sire (passed away in April 2020) and is one of six winners and two graded scorers from his final crop to race.
Cinderella's Dream is the lone starter and winner out of daughter of High Heeled, successful at Group 3 level in Britain, third in the G1 Investec Epsom Oaks in 2009 and multiple Group 2-placed in France. Third dam Uncharted Haven won the 2000 GII San Clemente Stakes and the 2021 GII San Gorgonio Stakes for 3 Plus U Stable and trainer Bobby Frankel.
A full-sister to German listed winner Pabouche, Espadrille is also the dam of the 2-year-old filly Blue Laced (GB) (Farhh {GB}). Cinderella's Dream is the 41st GSW and 10th G1/GISW produced by a daughter of Dubawi.
CINDERELLA'S DREAM stuns in the Grade 1 @FasigTiptonCo Belmont Oaks Invitational under @WilliamBuickX for Charlie Appleby! pic.twitter.com/b3Mt7PFc4K
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) July 6, 2024
Saturday, Belmont The Big A
FASIG-TIPTON BELMONT OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $500,000, Belmont The Big A, 7-6, 3yo, f, 1 3/16mT, 1:53.42, 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)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Godolphin
(GB); T-Charles Appleby; J-William Buick. $275,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-5-0-0, $497,956. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Segesta, 121, f, 3, by Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Antonoe (GISW-USA, GSW-Fr, $565,377),
by First Defence
2nd Dam: Ixora, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: Imroz, by Nureyev
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$100,000.
3–She Feels Pretty, 121, f, 3, by Karakontie (Jpn)
1st Dam: Summer Sweet, by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Summer Solstice (Ire), by Caerleon
3rd Dam: Summer Sonnet (GB), by Baillamont
($240,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Payson Stud Inc
(KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $60,000.
Margins: 3/4, NO, 1HF. Odds: 3.65, 7.10, 0.95.
Also Ran: Pin Up Betty, Secret Satire (GB), Buchu, Dynamic Pricing (Ire), Sy B, Fun With Flags (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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