Owned by Sol Kumin's Head of Plains Partners, Fluffy Socks put in a brave performance to capture Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard. The 9-2 second choice, Fluffy Socks and Irad Ortiz, Jr. bulled their way between rivals at the head of the lane and powered clear to defeat 4-5 favorite Spendarella by a length on the wire. Trained by Chad Brown, the 5-year-old daughter of Slumber ran a mile over the firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:35.53.
“Turning for home I waited as long as I could,” Ortiz said. “When she hit the clear she was full of power.”
Fluffy Socks paid $11.96 for the victory, her first since October of 2021. Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Fluffy Socks was named by Kumin's son. The mare is out of the unplaced Kitten's Joy mare Breakfast Time, and has now improved her record to five wins, seven seconds, and two thirds from 18 starts for career earnings of $994,580.
Well off the inside rail, Haughty set the early pace with favorite Spendarella about a length back in second and longshot Sharp Hero in third along the inside. Ortiz had Fluffy Socks in fifth, just behind stablemate and last year's winner of this race, Speak of the Devil. Haughty set fractions of :23.62 and :47.81 before keeping off the inside rail heading into the stretch. That left a spot open for Sharp Hero to try to make a bid on the inside, and forced Spendarella about four paths off the rail turning into the lane, with Speak of the Devil to her outside.
Ortiz waited for a clear path to open up, and managed to squeeze Fluffy Socks through a narrow gap between Spendarella and Haughty with an eighth of a mile to run. A strong rally kept Fluffy Socks running all the way through the wire, defeating Spendarella by a length. Speak of the Devil checked in third, while late-running Wakanaka finished fourth. Sharp Hero and Haughty completed the order of finish.
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