McPeek Filly Romps In Off-Turf P.G. Johnson, Becomes First Stakes Winner for Laoban

P. G. JOHNSON S., $93,000, Saratoga, 9-3, 2yo, f, 7f (off turf), 1:21.85, ft.
1–SIMPLY RAVISHING, 122, f, 2, by Laoban
1st Dam: Four Wishes, by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Emilyna, by Valid Wager
3rd Dam: Piano Affect, by Fappiano
($50,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Harold
Lerner LLC, Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) & Nehoc
Stables; B-Meg Levy (NY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Luis Saez.
$55,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $94,600. *First SW for
freshman sire (by Uncle Mo).
2–Con Lima, 120, f, 2, Commissioner–Second Street City, by
Consolidator. ($15,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $19,000 RNA Ylg '19
KEESEP; $22,000 RNA 2yo '20 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del
Toro & Troy Johnson; B-Lisa Kuhlmann (TX); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $20,000.
3–Union Gables, 120, f, 2, Speightstown–Tonasah, by Malibu
Moon. ($40,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR).
O-GMP Stables LLC & F Bellavia, LLC; B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $12,000.
Margins: 6HF, 2 1/4, 8 1/4. Odds: 2.65, 1.15, 1.90.
Also Ran: Thursday. Scratched: Invincible Gal (GB), Mischievous Dream, Plum Ali.

Simply Ravishing, a first-out winner on grass, took to the dirt in the off-the-turf P.G. Johnson S. Thursday at Saratoga, powering away in the stretch to become the first stakes winner for her freshman sire (by Uncle Mo). Let go at 14-1 when unveiled over 1 1/16 miles on the local mellon course Aug. 2, the $50,000 Fasig-Tipton October graduate tracked the speed and edged clear to a one-length graduation while earning just a 50 Beyer.

Let go as the third choice in this four-horse group, the bay tracked favored Con Lima (Commissioner)–making her first start for Todd Pletcher after being bought into by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners–from second through a :22.82 quarter. Steadily turning up the pressure on the pacesetter going by a :45.67 half, she took over approaching the stretch and kicked clear entering the final three-sixteenths. Pletcher's other runner, Union Gables (Speightstown) briefly looked like she would produce a rally, but flattened soon after and Simply Ravishing finishing full of run to score by six lengths in a sharp 1:21.85 for seven furlongs. Con Lima salvaged the place. The winner's dam was bred to Speightster this season.

“We've been very happy with this horse and felt she could run on any surface,” said winning co-owner Harold Lerner. “What I saw today was very impressive. You just love to see them draw off and win in the right way. Hopefully, she'll have a big future in front of her. She's a New York-bred and twice a winner against open company. Now, we know she can [run on] turf and dirt. She's gone two turns and she's gone seven furlongs, so I think we have a really nice filly on our hands and we're extremely happy with her. Ken [McPeek] and I talked about it and we're going to send her down to Kentucky to take a look at the [GI Darley] Alcibiades at Keeneland [Oct. 2]. We're hopeful she'd be up for the next step. She's nominated now to the Breeders' Cup, and after what I saw today, I think we're going to roll the dice and just keep going with her.” Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.