Going straight to the lead at the start under Irad Ortiz Jr., Peter Brant's In Italian rolled to her seventh front-running win in 11 career starts in Friday's Grade 1, $500,000 Just A Game Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Trained by Chad Brown, In Italian scored by 3 3/4 lengths after covering the one mile on firm turf in 1:34.00. The 5-year-old mare by Dubawi, bred in England by Fairway Thoroughbreds, set fractions of :24.47, :47.95, 1:11.12 and 1:22.27 along the way.
It Italian paid $2.40 on a $2 win mutuel.
Spendarella, the 4-1 second choice, finished second, with Wakanaka another length back in third. New Year's Eve was fourth, and Speak of the Devil, also trained by Brown, last in the field of five fillies and mares.
In Italian was coming off a similar front-end victory in the G1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland April 15, her first start of 2023.
The Just A Game is named after a filly owned by Brant who was champion female turf horse in 1980. This is the sixth victory in the race for Brown and second for Brant. The two teamed up to win last year's running with Regal Glory, with In Italian winding up third after setting the pace.
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