Four Graces (Majesticperfection) is proving that she may be just as talented as her older MGSW brother McCraken (Ghostzapper), scoring her first black-type victory while making her stakes debut in the GIII Dogwood S. at Churchill Saturday.
Seizing the early advantage from her inside draw, the Whitham homebred raced under pressure through an opening quarter in :22.27. Favored Edgeway (Competitive Edge) loomed boldly at the quarter pole and looked every bit a winner, but Four Graces had plenty left in the tank and turned back that foe for a sharp 2 1/2-length victory.
A debut winner going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Mar. 1, Four Graces was a disappointing fourth as the 8-5 favorite in a one-mile test against winners there Apr. 10 and returned to winning ways when cut back to seven panels at Churchill last time May 16.
“This entire family is extremely talented so it was very rewarding to get her a stakes win today,” winning trainer Ian Wilkes said.
“I thought she was going to have to go faster to get the lead but it ended up working out for us with the early pace scenario. We had no other choice but to show speed because of her post on the inside. I felt really confident when she came off the turn and Julien [Leparoux] started asking her to run and she put away [Edgeway] on her outside. There were some very nice fillies in this race that she beat.”
Pedigree Notes:
Majesticperfection, last reported to be standing in Uruguay after beginning his career in Kentucky at Airdrie Stud, got a first-crop GI Kentucky Oaks winner in Lovely Maria. Four Graces marks his 20th black-type winner and 7th graded winner. The stallion's Bell's the One captured the GIII Winning Colors S. at Churchill last week and his Long Weekend was a dual stakes winner at Oaklawn earlier this year. Leading broodmare sire Seeking the Gold, whose daughters have produced 172 stakes winners, sired Ivory Empress, whose MGSW & GISP son McCraken (Ghostzapper) entered stud at Airdrie in 2019. Ivory Empress, a half to GISW and fellow Whitham-bred/campaigned Mea Domina (Dance Brightly), has had one reported foal after Four Graces, a 2-year-old Into Mischief colt named Milliken.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
DOGWOOD S.-GIII, $100,000, Churchill Downs, 6-6, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:22.28, ft.
1–FOUR GRACES, 119, f, 3, by Majesticperfection
1st Dam: Ivory Empress (GSP, $189,402), by Seeking the Gold
2nd Dam: Madame Pandit, by Wild Again
3rd Dam: Tuesday Evening, by Nodouble
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-WhithamThoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes; J-Julien Leparoux. $60,140. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $134,450. *1/2 to Bondurant (War Front), MGSP, $287,394; 1/2 to McCraken (Ghostzapper), MGSW & GISP, $869,728. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Edgeway, 119, f, 3, Competitive Edge–Magical Solution, by Stormin Fever. ($35,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $275,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR). O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Pope McLean, Valerie Blethen & David Blethen (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $19,400.
3–Bayerness, 119, f, 3, Bayern–Weight No More, by Pure Prize. ($170,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '19 EASMAY).
O-Belladonna Racing, LLC; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $9,700.
Margins: 2HF, 5 3/4, 5 3/4. Odds: 2.30, 1.60, 8.20.
Also Ran: Lady Glamour, Ain't No Elmers, Clivetty, Magic Dance, Naughty Thoughts.
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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