By Joe Bianca
ARCADIA, CA–Sharing (Speightstown), a daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Shared Account and a 'TDN Rising Star', wrote her own Breeders' Cup legacy Friday at Santa Anita, kicking clear late to upset the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Debuting in a turf sprint July 21 at Saratoga, the chestnut navigated some stretch traffic and flew late to just miss, finishing third by a neck. Staying in when an Aug. 18 Spa turf route was rained off, she ran away to a 6 1/4-length romp, earning 'Rising Star' honors. Scoring by open lengths in the Selima S. Sept. 21 at Laurel, she was given a 13-1 chance here and broke on top before finding a stalking spot in fourth as Abscond (Blame) and Sweet Melania (American Pharoah) went on with it through a sharp :22.74 quarter and a more moderate :47.02 half.
Sweet Melania started to prove superior of the two pace players approaching the lane and took command three sixteenths out as Sharing continued to bide her time in the second flight. That rival appeared to have the race in a stranglehold a furlong out, but Sharing quickened impressively once taken into the clear and soon drew alongside. Poking her head in front at the sixteenth marker, Sharing skipped clear from there to score convincingly. Daahyeh (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), a narrow favorite, finished well to tag Sweet Melania for second on the wire, with Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) checked in fourth.
The victory held unique significance for trainer Graham Motion, who conditioned Shared Account to victory in the 2010 F/M Turf at Churchill.
“It's amazing. Her mother was really the most special filly I've trained,” Motion said. “I mean I've had some really nice fillies, but she was very special. It's so hard to win these races. Just to get here, it's really surreal to be honest.”
“She broke so nice out of the gate and got the position behind the speed I wanted,” said winning rider Manny Franco, who was picking up his first Breeders' Cup success. “Down the backside, she settled pretty nicely. By the three-eighths pole, I waited for the right moment to make my move and she was there for me.”
“She has just been a dream,” said Aron Wellman of winning co-owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “She's been a total machine from day one. She went down to Stonestreet. Ian Brennan broke her, did a phenomenal job with her. We handed her over to Graham, and it's been just unbelievably smooth every step of the way. We have mapped out the plan. Graham has executed it to precision, Manny has ridden to precision, and it's just so special to be here with Antony [Beck] and Gainesway Farm, it's been so good to Eclipse. All of our partners in the filly are here today. And without our partners, there is no Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.”
Pedigree Notes:
Sharing, one of 108 stakes winners for 21-year-old Speightstown, becomes his 50th graded stakes winner and 16th Grade I winner. She is the second black-type winner out of her millionaire dam after Riley's Choice, and is followed by a Mastery filly of this season. Shared Account is herself a half-sister to GSW Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap), while second dam Silk 'n Sapphire is a half to GSWs Golden Itiz (Tiznow) and Sapphire 'n Silk (Pleasant Tap). She was purchased by Sam-Son Farm for $550,000 at Keeneland November last year and visited Medaglia d'Oro this spring.
Friday, Santa Anita
BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF-GI, $920,000, Santa Anita, 11-1, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.59, fm.
1–SHARING, 122, f, 2, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Shared Account (GISW, $1,649,427), by Pleasantly Perfect
2nd Dam: Silk n' Sapphire, by Smart Strike
3rd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star' ($350,000 Ylg '18 FTSAUG). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Sagamore Farm (MD); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Manuel Franco. $550,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $730,300. *1/2 to Riley's Choice (Distorted Humor), SW, $172,838.Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Daahyeh (GB), 122, f, 2, by Bated Breath (GB)&log=">Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: Affluent (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Valencia (GB), by Kenmare (Fr)
3rd Dam: De Stael, by Nijinsky II
(£75,000 Ylg '18 GOUKPR). O-Victorious Racing, LLC Lessee; B-D. J. and Mrs Deer (GB); T-Roger Varian. $170,000.
3–Sweet Melania, 122, f, 2, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: Sweet N Discreet, by Discreet Cat
2nd Dam: West Side Dancer, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Bering Cruise, by Danzig
($600,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Lawana L. and Robert E. Low; B-St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $90,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 1. Odds: 13.80, 3.80, 4.80.
Also Ran: Albigna (Ire), Selflessly, Croughavouke (Ire), Abscond, Tango (Ire), Shadn (Ire), Etoile, Crystalle, Fair Maiden, Unforgetable (Ire), Living In The Past (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
