Just five months after bringing 700,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, Pipsy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) impressed in her North American debut with a last-to-first win in the GIII Soaring Softly S. at Belmont's The Big A meet Sunday. As a juvenile in her native Ireland, she won two of her three races including a listed stake before heading to auction where Woodford Thoroughbreds stuck the winning bid and imported the filly to race out of the William Walden barn.
The tepid 3-1 favorite had her backers watching on nervously as the filly jumped straight in the air as the gates opened and spotted the field several lengths. Trailing her nine rivals up the backstretch as a pair of longshots battled up front, Pipsy regained contact with the back of the group as the opening quarter passed in :22.42. Pushed along around the turn, the favorite had still just one horse beat as the lead pack bunched up past the quarter pole. Confidently handled by Flavien Prat, Pipsy swung out past the furlong marker and engulfed the field from the center of the track, driving to the line a clear winner even as Kairyu (Ire) (Kuroshio {Aus}) chased her home.
“The horses were acting up around her and she got very anxious in the gate and broke in the air,” said Prat. “So, we went to Plan B. I gave her a chance to see if she would get underneath me and she sure did. When I tipped her out, she made a great move.”
From last to first, PIPSY, gets the win in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly under Flavien Prat for Trainer William Walden in her US debut! 💨 pic.twitter.com/vzFnryKktH
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) May 12, 2024
Pedigree Note:
One of 97 stakes winners for Kodiac, Pipsy sold for 700,000 gns as a 2-year-old before her U.S. debut after previously RNA'ing for 45,000gns as a yearling at Tattersalls October in 2022 and bringing €60,000 as a foal at Goff's November Foal Sale in 2021. The first winner out of a half-sister to GSW/MG1SP Ziyad (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), this is also the family of MG1SW Aquarelliste (Fr) (Danehill) and MGISW Artiste Royal (Ire) (Danehill). Experte's youngest foal is a yearling colt by Ghaiyyath (Ire) and she was not reported bred for this year.
Sunday, Belmont The Big A
SOARING SOFTLY S.-GIII, $175,000, Belmont The Big A, 5-12, 3yo, f, 6fT, 1:09.41, gd.
1–PIPSY (IRE), 120, f, 3, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Experte (Fr), by High Chaparral (Ire)
2nd Dam: Arme Ancienne (GB), by Sillery
3rd Dam: Agathe, by Manila
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (€60,000 Wlg '21 GOFNO1;
45,000gns RNA Ylg '22 TATOCT; 700,000gns 2yo '23 TATMA).
O-Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Noel Finegan (IRE);
T-William Walden; J-Flavien Prat. $96,250. Lifetime Record:
SW-Ire, 4-3-1-0, $141,684. Werk Nick Rating: B.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Kairyu (Ire), 123, f, 3, Kuroshio (Aus)–Vegatina (GB),
by Lope de Vega (Ire). (€80,000 2yo '23 TATGOR). O-Schwartz,
Martin S. and O'Callaghan, Michael; B-Mr P. Turley (IRE);
T-Cherie DeVaux. $35,000.
3–Amidst Waves, 120, f, 3, Midshipman–Troublesome,
by Into Mischief. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($100,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-Big Tufff Stables, Blackridge Stables LLC, Black Type
Thoroughbreds, R.A. Hill Stable and Swinkbank Stables;
B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC & Ballyfair Bloodstock (KY); T-George
Weaver. $21,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, NO. Odds: 3.35, 8.10, 3.85.
Also Ran: Independenceavenue, Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire), Marco T., Golden Ghost (GB), Caress, Artemis Sound, Tiger Belle (Ire). Scratched: Baraye, Buttercream Babe, El Terreno, Value Area.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
