For sheer drama, it was hard to top the finish of Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Florida Oaks for sophomore fillies on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla. Odds-on favorite Jouster and Luis Saez made an easy lead most of the way and appeared to be home free until the Noble Mission filly turned her head in the stretch, perhaps seeking company.
Whatever the circumstances, that was the opening Antonio Gallardo needed on Domain Expertise, the daughter of Kitten's Joy out of the Limehouse mare Teroda. Domain Expertise gobbled up the ground in lightning-quick fashion and stuck her nose in front at the wire, winning in 1:41.12 for the 1 1/16 miles.
The final time is a stakes record, bettering Fifty Five's 1:41.60 in 2017.
Domain Expertise, who improved to 2-for-5, is owned by Klaravich Stables.
“She felt comfortable all the way around,” Gallardo said. “Really, when I put her in the clear, she exploded. She exploded like a good filly. I was trying my hardest and you're not thinking about (whether he would catch Jouster), you're thinking about riding your horse and trying to catch her. That's it.
“I asked Luis (Saez, on Jouster) 'What do you think?' and he said 'I don't know.' It was so close. Thanks to the Chad Brown team and everybody.”
“Antonio gave her a great ride,” said Whit Beckman, Brown's assistant. “She's been training great in south Florida and we brought her here expecting to win. You count on your horse and jockey to know where the wire is, and they timed things perfectly.”
An ironic twist to the Florida Oaks result: Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Jouster, trained Domain Expertise's broodmare sire Limehouse, who won the 2004 Tampa Bay Derby.
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