By Alan Carasso
Perhaps done in by a two-week turnaround when just beaten in the July 20 Woodbine Oaks, Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach) proved possibly the biggest beneficiary of the six-day postponement of the C$1-million King's Plate, clawing her way past heavily favored My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) in the final 40 yards.
The $375,000 OBS April breezer was off at 9-1 in the King's Plate–a race in which the fillies had more than held their own against their male counterparts–and took up a forward position from between horses in the second flight for Rafael Hernandez as stablemates Essex Serpent (Honor Code)–last-out winner of the GIII Marine Stakes–and My Boy Prince vied on a good pace up front.
Sahin Civaci allowed the chalk to claim Essex Serpent fully three furlongs from home, setting him a tall staying task over a 10-furlong trip at which he was perhaps a bit suspect. Nevertheless, My Boy Prince carried the lead past the eighth pole, but by this time, Caitlinhergretness was bearing down and she grinded her way past in the shadow of the post. Midnight Mascot (Army Mule) ran on nicely for third.
Caitlinhergrtness, named in honor of WNBA hoops star Caitlin Clark, is the sixth filly to beat the boys in Canada's premier 3-year-old race since Inglorious (Hennessy) in 2011. Hernandez and trainer Kevin Attard teamed to win the race when still known as the Queen's Plate with Moira (Ghostzapper) in 2022.
“She's obviously all class and all racehorse. She's handled everything really well,” the winning conditioner said. “She's withstanding everything we've thrown at her. I was happy with where he [Hernandez] positioned her the whole way around there and at the quarter pole, I thought we had a shot.
“She gave it all she had,” continued Attard. “My Boy Prince, kudos to him. He put in a gallant effort today. You know, he was a little suspect by a lot of people going this far, but he just proved what kind of class horse he is. I think our filly's pretty special, and it took everything she had to run him down, and she's the champ.”
Originally trained by Todd Pletcher, Caitlinhergrtness was a second-out maiden winner going Aqueduct's one-turn mile last September ahead of a fourth as the favorite in the Nov. 5 Tempted S. Fourth in a Valentine's Day allowance at Gulfstream, she was transferred to this barn and won her turf bow July 6. She was all but home in the Oaks last time, only to be chinned on the wire by Kin's Concerto (Mendelssohn).
Pedigree Notes:
Caitlinhergrtness is the eighth worldwide black-type winner for Omaha Beach, who was recently represented by Band of Brothers (Aus), a Group 3 winner in Melbourne, as well as new 'TDN Rising Star' With the Angels at Saratoga Aug. 22. The King's Plate winner is the 223rd worldwide stakes winner out of a daughter of the legendary Giant's Causeway.
A $135,000 buyback at the 2010 Keeneland September Sale, Belaxtrix was sent to Brazil, where she made five starts for three runner-up efforts at Gavea. The dam of two Brazilian-bred foals, Belatrix was repatriated in 2017 and in 2020, was purchased by breeder Jesse Korona for $40,000 with this filly in utero at the Keeneland November Sale.
A half-sister to MSW & GISP Dogtag (War Front) and to the dam of Australian MGSW & MG1SP Osipenko (NZ) (Pierro {Aus}), Caitlinhergrtness counts Street Cry (Ire)'s full-sister Helsinki as her third dam. The latter has left her mark on the breed as the dam of the influential MG1SW sire Shamardal (Giant's Causeway) and GSW Geoffrey Chaucer (Montjeu {Ire}). Belatrix was purchased by Sean S. Perl Bloodstock for $11,000 in foal to Greatest Honour at KEENOV last year, but did not produce a foal and was covered by Loggins this season.
Friday, Woodbine
KING'S PLATE S., C$1,002,000, Woodbine, 8-23, (C), 3yo, 1 1/4m (AWT), 2:03.45, ft.
1–CAITLINHERGRTNESS, 121, f, 3, by Omaha Beach
1st Dam: Belatrix, by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Diamond Necklace, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Helsinki (GB), by Machiavellian
($65,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $160,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $375,000
2yo '23 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Siena Farm LLC and
WinStar Farm LLC; B-Jesse Korona (ON); T-Kevin Attard;
J-Rafael Manuel Hernandez. C$600,000. Lifetime Record:
7-3-1-1, $627,069.
2–My Boy Prince, 126, c, 3, Cairo Prince–Hopping Not Hoping,
by Silent Name (Jpn). (C$115,000 Ylg '22 CANSEP). O-Gary
Barber; B-Murray Graham Smith (ON); T-Mark E. Casse.
C$200,000.
3–Midnight Mascot, 126, c, 3, Army Mule–Midnight Embrace,
by Midnight Lute. ($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Manfred
and Penny Conrad; B-Yvonne Schwabe Thoroughbreds (ON);
T-Mark E. Casse. C$100,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2, 1 1/4. Odds: 9.35, 0.60, 15.60.
Also Ran: Pierre, Jokestar, Vitality, Thor's Cause, No More Options, Rafaroo, Essex Serpent, Friendly Ghost, Roar of the Crowd. Scratched: Bedard. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
🏀 #4 CAITLINHERGRTNESS lives up to her namesake @CaitlinClark22 in the $1M King's Plate at @WoodbineTB. Jockey Rafael Hernandez was up for trainer Kevin Attard. Congratulations to @SienaFarmKY and @WinStarFarm on your victory with this daughter of @SpendthriftFarm's Omaha Beach. pic.twitter.com/fe65j5OMlD
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 23, 2024
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