By Alan Carasso
Papilio (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was her own worst enemy when snatching defeat from jaws of victory in the GIII Herecomesthebride S. in her U.S. debut Mar. 4, and she was anything but entirely focused in the dying strides of Saturday's GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland. But she overcame wayward ways to prevail over Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince) in a driving finish in Lexington.
Allowed to find her feet near the back of the field as Heavenly Sunday (Candy Ride {Arg}) outfooted Well Into (Into Mischief) and made play up front, Papilio hugged the fence while a fraction keen turning up the backstretch. Steered into the two path while tugging against Javier Castellano from second last into the second turn, Papilio split rivals approaching the quarter pole and was switched out and around 'TDN Rising Star' Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) entering the final furlong. Refusing to chart a straight course and weaving in and out with time ticking away, she wanted to have a good look at the grandstand while trying to win the race inside the sixteenth pole and came in on the comebacking Pleasant Passage (More Than Ready), causing that already beaten rival to check sharply. But Castellano managed to get his mount straightened out in the nick of time for a breakthrough win at the graded level.
The Appalachian was a measure of redemption for the Mark Casse barn, who was shut out on opening day, including an off-the-board effort in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. from champion Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief).
“She has an amazing turn of foot,” Casse said of the winner. “If she ever learns to run a straight line, who knows how good she is? She isn't really a tricky filly. She's actually a sweetie. She just runs in different directions. I think once she 'gets it' around here she's going to be very tough.”
Papilio defeated the boys in two of her first three starts and was runner-up in the Listed Churchill S. at Tipperary last August for trainer 'Fozzy' Stack and Mrs. M.V. Magnier, Mrs. Paul Shanahan and Tom Magnier. She was a midfield sixth behind the exciting Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) and future GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and had the Herecomesthebride all but sewn up, only to hand the race to Danse Macabre (Army Mule).
Pedigree Notes:
The 28th worldwide black-type winner and 18th graded/group winner for her sire (by Choisir {Aus}), Papilio was a €60,000 purchase by Shawn Dugan at the 2021 Arqana August Sale and is out of an unraced half-sister to Balius (Ire) (Mujahid), a Group 2 winner in Dubai, a five-time listed winner in France, victorious at stakes level in Turkey and Group 1-placed in Hong Kong and Singapore. Glafyra is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Feet of Fear (GB) (Ten Sovereigns) and a yearling colt by Cable Bay (Ire).
Saturday, Keeneland
APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $338,600, Keeneland, 4-8, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.32, gd.
1–PAPILIO (IRE), 118, f, 3, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
1st Dam: Glafyra (Fr), by High Chaparral (Ire)
2nd Dam: Akhla, by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Beautiful River, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (€60,000
Ylg '21 ARAUG). O-D. J. Stable LLC, Medallion Racing, Barry
Fowler, and Parkland Thoroughbreds; B-SCEA Marmion &
Mr A. Jathiere (IRE); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Javier Castellano.
$176,700. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-0, $258,700.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Cairo Consort, 118, f, 3, Cairo Prince–Absolutely
Awesome, by Street Cry (Ire). ($37,000 RNA Wlg '20
FTKNOV; $95,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $875,000 2yo '22
FTKNOV). O-Repole Stable and Town and Country Racing,
LLC; B-Frankfort Park Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$76,000.
3–Heavenly Sunday, 118, f, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Alien Giant,
by Giant's Causeway. ($170,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP).
O-Miacomet Farm (William Harrigan); B-Randal Family Trust
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $38,000.
Margins: NK, 1, 1. Odds: 5.99, 3.01, 4.12.
Also Ran: Well Into, Pleasant Passage, Sabalenka, Be Your Best (Ire), Alpha Bella, Beautifulnavigator (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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