By Steve Sherack
Three Chimneys Farm homebred Pretty Ana (Quality Road), a half-sister to Horse of the Year and leading young sire Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), dug down gamely in the stretch to record a career high in Saturday's GIII Comely Stakes at the Big A.
Sent off as the third-choice in the field of five, the rail-drawn 7-2 chance led them into the clubhouse turn and exchanged blows with longshot Dorothy's Dreams (Always Dreaming) through fractions of :24.41 and :49.32. With that rival backing out of it on the turn for home, Pretty Ana braced for the challenge of favored Alpine Princess (Classic Empire), who loomed boldly on the outside. Those two put on a show down the stretch with Pretty Ana wanting it just a little bit more outgaming that rival by a head.
“I'm so happy for Mr. Torrealba and the whole Three Chimneys team,” winning trainer Chad Brown said. “This is their core family, and this filly is worth quite a bit of money. Hopefully they keep her in training next year and we can build on her resume. She's lovely to have and on top of what she did today, she's a very classy horse and a pleasure to have around.”
A front-running maiden winner at second asking for Steve Asmussen at Fair Grounds back in February, Pretty Ana was transferred to Brown this summer. She made two tries on grass for Brown, including a solid third-place finish behind subsequent GIII Pebbles Stakes winner No Mo Candy (Uncle Mo) in an optional claimer over the lawn here Sept. 20. She finished third, beaten only a neck, back on dirt while making her stakes debut in the GII Mother Goose Stakes last time Oct. 26.
Pedigree Notes:
Pretty Ana becomes the 43rd graded/84th stakes winner worldwide for Quality Road. Pretty Ana is bred on the same Quality Road x Storm Cat cross as GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hootenanny.
Pretty Ana's dam Quiet Giant, a homebred for the late Edward P. Evans, secured a career high in the 2011 GII Hill 'N' Dale Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park. She brought $3 million from Besilu Stables at the 2011 KEENOV sale. Her first foal was the brilliant Gun Runner.
The half-sister to Horse of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado) and GISW Funtastic (More Than Ready) produced a colt by Quality Road in 2023. She's barren for 2025.
PRETTY ANA ($9.40) turned Alpine Princess away in the $200,000 Comely Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct. The three-year-old daughter of Quality Road (@LanesEndFarms) was ridden by Jose Lezcano for trainer Chad Brown.
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Saturday, Aqueduct
COMELY S.-GIII, $194,000, Aqueduct, 11-30, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:49.99, ft.
1–PRETTY ANA, 118, f, 3, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Quiet Giant (GSW, $405,389),
by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Quiet Dance, by Quiet American
3rd Dam: Misty Dancer, by Lyphard
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Three
Chimneys Farm, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Jose Lezcano.
$110,000. Lifetime Record: 9-2-0-3, $203,869. *1/2 to Gun
Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), Horse Of The Year, Among The
Leading Sires, Ch. Older Dirt Male, Among The Leading Sires,
MGISW-USA, G1SP-UAE, $15,988,500. Werk Nick Rating: B.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Alpine Princess, 120, f, 3, Classic Empire–Le Moine, by Curlin.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Full of
Run Racing Two and Madaket Stables LLC; B-Betz/DJ
Stables/Peter V. Lamantia/Classic Empire Syndicate (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox. $40,000.
3–Scalable, 124, f, 3, Speightstown–Passion Flower, by Tapit.
($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $24,000.
Margins: HD, 5HF, NK. Odds: 3.70, 0.75, 10.60.
Also Ran: Life Talk, Dorothy's Dreams. Scratched: Audacious, Just Music.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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