Trainer Chad Brown extended his domination in the $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya (G3), as Klaravich Stables' McKulick rewarded her 2-5 favoritism to post a two-length victory on Saturday in the 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares at Belmont at the Big A.
Brown saddled the Waya winner for the fifth consecutive time and the seventh time overall, extending his own record, as McKulick registered her fourth career graded stakes score by overtaking stablemate Idea Generation from the outside in the stretch, giving the connections the 1-2 finish.
Idea Generation went to the front from the inside post, leading a compact four-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :25.14, the half in :51.40, three-quarters in 1:17.23, and a mile in 1:43 over yielding ground that continued to take on rain.
McKulick and the French-bred Parnac jostled for second position, with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. moving up McKulick approaching the final turn. Idea Generation, under rider Florent Geroux, was not content to simply serve as a rabbit, maintaining the lead into the final furlong before McKulick's late move as she surged to the finish, hitting the wire in 2:20.10.
Idea Generation finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Sister Otoole for second, with Parnac completing the order of finish. Romagna Mia and Personal Best along with main-track only entrants Movie Moxy and Peak Popularity were scratched.
Brown said the impressive effort could put McKulick in play for the 1 1/4-mile Grade 1, $2-million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on November 4 at Santa Anita Park. She would be entering with momentum after avenging a second-place finish to Parnac in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl in September at Saratoga Race Course and winning the Grade 2 Glens Falls in August at the Spa.
“I think going a mile and a quarter back to two turns would be good for her, if there's pace like there should be going back to two turns,” Brown said. “This filly has proven she can run on firm or bottomless ground like today. She's a very versatile horse and we're lucky to have her in the barn.”
McKulick returned $2.80 on a $2 win bet and improved her career earnings to $1.61 million. The 4-year-old Frankel filly, who defeated Grade 1-winning multimillionaire War Like Goddess in the Glens Falls, improved to 5-5-2 in 13 starts.
“She [McKulick] did great,” Brown said. “She was very unlucky in the Flower Bowl, she was clearly the best in that race. She got race ridden a little bit there by the horse that finished last in the race [Parnac]. I wanted to make sure we had a pace horse in there to keep it an honest race, but could also do some good in the race. Everything was accomplished today.”
Ortiz has been aboard for 11 of McKulick's 13 starts and all five victories.
“She really liked the soft ground,” Ortiz said. “I think she appreciated it and the pace. Last time, there was no pace in the race and it cost her that race. Today, the other filly of the same connections [Idea Generation] put an honest pace and a better pace than last time and she really liked it. She always gives me a good kick and she stays on and keeps coming.”
Idea Generation earned place honors in her graded stakes debut with the 3-year-old Irish bred garnering black type for the first time in three stakes appearances overall, including a seventh-place finish in the Virginia Oaks in her previous start at Colonial Downs.
“Florent really followed instructions well. It appeared she was just the pacemaker in here, but I must say this filly didn't ship well to Colonial,” Brown said. “The race at Colonial was a throw out. Her form behind there was sneaky good for a stretch out horse — she looked like she had been wanting to run three turns. For a 3-year-old, it's hard to find three-turn races unless you're running against older horses. I was very clear with Florent, I told him, 'You could certainly get a piece of this race and be near everyone near the finish if you get out there and get comfortable.' ”
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