Peter Brant's In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {GB}), last seen finishing second in the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf, returned to the races with a dominant wire-to-wire victory in the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland Saturday. Sent off the 3-5 favorite for her 5-year-old debut, the chestnut mare bound out to the early lead and was in control through fractions of :23.63 and :47.29. Asked to go by Irad Ortiz at the top of the lane, she extended her advantage in the blink of an eye and she was never challenged to the wire.
“She's been a nice filly all the time,” said Ortiz. “She broke quick out of the gate and then she relaxed. Her ears were up. She does that all the time. I was confident. The trainer told me just to go to the lead. She broke so good, I tried to relax her going into the first turn, and she switched off. That was key. After that, on the backside if somebody gets close to her, I can let her do her thing, because I know I have plenty in the tank. She was nice. She deserves all the credit. She got the job done.”
The victory gave trainer Chad Brown his sixth win and Brant his third in the Wiley.
“She's a wonderful mare,” said Brant. “She's been good from the very beginning, and we're very proud to have her. She's going to be a great broodmare for us. We're so excited; to win this race this number of times has been a great thrill for us. This is one of the most important filly-and-mare races, and it's just a great honor to win this race.”
In Italian, who has never been off the board in now 10 lifetime starts, was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following her maiden victory at Belmont in 2021, but it would be another eight months before she returned to the races. She made up for lost time in 2022, with wins in the GIII Honey Fox S., GI Diana S. and GI First Lady S. She attempted to stretch her speed to the F/M Turf's 1 3/16 miles and found only Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) too good over the Keeneland turf last November.
Pedigree Notes:
In Italian's group-winning dam Florentina has an unraced 4-year-old gelding by Kingman (GB) in the UK and a filly by that sire foaled in Australia in 2020. The 15-year-old mare, a half to Group 1 winner Gathering (Aus) (Tale of the Cat), was barren to Yes Yes Yes (Aus) the past two seasons. She was bred to So You Think (NZ) last October.
JENNY WILEY S.-GI, $511,125, Keeneland, 4-15, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:39.71, fm.
1–IN ITALIAN (GB), 123, m, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Florentina (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $250,958), by Redoute's Choice (Aus)
2nd Dam: Celebria (Aus), by Peintre Celebre
3rd Dam: Twyla (Aus), by Danehill
(475,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Fairway
Thoroughbreds (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr..
$306,125. Lifetime Record: 10-6-3-1, $1,635,308. Werk Nick
Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–With The Moonlight (Ire), 123, f, 4, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Sand Vixen (GB) (GSW-Eng, $119,931), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Fur Will Fly (GB), by Petong (GB)
3rd Dam: Bumpkin (GB), by Free State (Ire)
O/B-Godolphin LLC (IRE); T-Charles Appleby. $98,750.
3–White Frost, 123, m, 5, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Miss Frost (MSW, $247,259), by Curlin
2nd Dam: Allencat, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Pharma, by Theatrical (Ire)
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck);
B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-William I. Mott.
$59,250.
Margins: 3, 1 1/4, 3. Odds: 0.75, 2.40, 7.68.
Also Ran: Skims (GB), Pizza Bianca, Queen Goddess. Scratched: Freedom Speaks, Henrietta Topham, Speak of the Devil (Fr). Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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