Ridden with supreme confidence by Umberto Rispoli, Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Comanche Country remained unbeaten in three one-mile turf starts in Southern California as she rallied for a half length win in Sunday's $200,000 Surfer Girl Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita.
With the distance completed in 1:35.20, it's on to the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) Nov. 4 at Keeneland.
As she did in both her maiden win on July 30 and listed Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Sept. 10, Comanche Country rated kindly in the run to the first turn. Midpack, about three lengths off early leader Queenzy in a field of eight juvenile fillies at the half mile mark, Rispoli hugged the rail the to the top of the lane tipped out to the three path and Comanche Country responded with a solid stretch rally to run down Sell the Dream late and win going away.
“This filly, she just continues to get better and better,” said D'Amato, who registered his fourth stakes win on day six of Santa Anita's Autumn Meet. “Umberto rode her with a lot of confidence. He gave her a nice ground-saving ride, he angled out and she wanted to win today. I think this will buy us a ticket to the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.”
Heavily favored at 4-5, Comanche Country paid $3.60.
Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables LLC, and Marsha Naify, Comanche Country, who was winless in two Irish starts, is unbeaten in her three North American starts, and with her first graded stakes victory, she picked up $120,000, increasing her earnings to $231,287.
For her part, California-bred Sell the Dream ran too good to lose. A close third at the three-furlong pole, she overtook Queenzy inside the eighth pole, opened up a half length but couldn't hold off the winner late, finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of longshot Bolt's Broad.
Fractions on the race were :22.62, :47.22, 1:11.26, and 1:23.19.
G3 SURFER GIRL STAKES QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
UMBERTO RISPOLI, COMANCHE COUNTRY, WINNER: “I had the spot I wanted, I was on the fence and saved ground. On the backstretch I just used her a little bit to make sure that I could hold my position. Around the turn, I knew the horse was able to carry me to the wire. I was just waiting for the quarter pole to put her in the clear. She did the rest, she carried four pounds over a majority of the others, so it was a big effort.”
TRAINER QUOTES
PHIL D'AMATO, COMANCHE COUNTRY, WINNER: “This filly, she just continues to get better and better. Umberto rode her with a lot of confidence. He gave her a nice ground-saving ride, he angled out and she wanted to win today. I think this will buy us a ticket to the Breeders' Cup (Juvenile Fillies Turf, Nov. 4) at Keeneland.”
The post ‘I Think This Will Buy Us A Ticket To The Breeders’ Cup’: Comanche Country Wins Surfer Girl To Keep Her North American Record Perfect appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
