Tezzaray (GB) turned an eventful trip into a nose win in Del Mar's GIII Jimmy Durante S., staying undefeated in two U.S. starts since moving stateside this fall. Promptly bumped leaving the gate, the tidy chestnut was undeterred, angling over to the rail to sit midpack. Comfortable stalking in fourth through early fractions of :23.41 and :48.52, she was third going into the turn before suddenly checking off the heels of Awake At Midnyte. Tezzaray took back, angled out and around that rival, then split horses and commenced a tenacious drive to the wire, wearing down Awake At Midnyte to win the bob by a scant nose.
“I had a good trip,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., who also won the Jimmy Durante last year on Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}). “I was in a little tight at the three-eighths pole, but that wasn't anything big. She's a very European filly; she likes to run covered up. When it came time to run–boom–she went.”
Trainer Peter Miller, who was taking his first Jimmy Durante, said, “I had confidence in her. She's one of those fillies that are very classy and does everything right. I thought we won, then I thought we didn't, but luckily we got the head bob.”
Tezzaray (GB) debuted with a pair of thirds in maiden races in her native England for Karl Burke in August before shipping stateside to Miller's barn. Her inaugural race on U.S. soil was the Thursday before Breeders' Cup over this course and distance, where she was bumped at the start but settled kindly before angling out and mowing down the competition from midpack.
Pedigree Notes:
The 20th black-type winner for Bated Breath (GB), who stands at Banstead Manor Stud in England, Tezzaray also marks her sire's 14th graded winner. She is the third of his offspring to shine over Del Mar's course as his Viadera (GB) won the 2020 GI Matriarch S. and Jasikan (Ire) was a 2019 SW & GSP over the La Jolla lawn.
Tezzaray is the first black-type winner for her dam, Amber Queen (Ire), whose most recent foal is a yearling filly by Hot Streak (Ire) that sold at the 2020 Tattersalls December sale to G. & E. Arrowsmith for 2,000gns. Amber Queen is a half to G1SW Spinning Queen (GB) (Spinning World). Her sire, English champion Cadeaux Genereux (GB), has 69 stakes winners out of his daughters with Tezzaray's win.
Saturday, Del Mar
JIMMY DURANTE S.-GIII, $103,000, Del Mar, 11-27, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:37.56, fm.
1–TEZZARAY (GB), 120, f, 2, by Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: Amber Queen (Ire), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
2nd Dam: Our Queen of Kings (GB), by Arazi
3rd Dam: Lady Blackfoot (Ire), by Prince Tenderfoot
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (17,000gns
Wlg '19 TATFOA; £22,000 Ylg '20 GOFFUK). O-Slam Dunk
Racing & Roger H. Newman; B-Lady Richard Wellesley (GB);
T-Peter Miller; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $60,000. Lifetime Record:
4-2-0-2, $104,997. Werk Nick Rating: B.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Awake At Midnyte, 120, f, 2, Nyquist–Midnight Union, by
Union Rags. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($85,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $190,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT;
$320,000 2yo '21 FTFMAR). O-Reddam Racing LLC; B-Forty
Oaks (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $20,000.
3–Toeris, 120, f, 2, Tourist–Sutil (Brz), by Redattore (Brz).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Team Valor
International & Gary Barber (KY); T-Dan Blacker. $12,000.
Margins: NO, HF, HD. Odds: 3.10, 7.80, 45.70.
Also Ran: Helens Well (Ire), Liam's Dove, Travel Smart, Virulente (Fr), Miss Bellatrix, Half Past Twelve, Sparkle Blue, Reem Zabeel (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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