It may be hard to believe, but American runner–and international star–Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was winning her first U.S. graded event in Saturday's GIII Mint Ladies Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs. Of course, she's a Group 1 winner and highweight in both England and France, but the remarkable U.S-trained and -based 4-year-old's biggest win on American soil previously was Keeneland's listed Giant's Causeway S. in April. She'd shipped over to Royal Ascot after the Giant's Causeway to deadheat for third in the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. June 18, no easy feat amongst a 24-horse field.
Campanelle has more frequent flier miles than many people: bred in Ireland, she made her first start in the U.S. (a debut maiden win at Gulfstream), then shipped to Royal Ascot for a win in the G2 Queen Mary S. Back to the U.S. to train, she shipped to France for a G1 Darley Prix Morny victory, then back stateside again for a fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. And that was just as a 2-year-old. Campanelle opened her 3-year-old campaign at Royal Ascot with a win in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, came back to the U.S. to train, and shipped overseas again but faltered in France at Deauville. She closed out her sophomore year in the U.S. and then began her 4-year-old account at Keeneland before the third at Ascot and now the Franklin, Ky. win. Combined, the dizzying schedule and top wins have turned Campanelle into one of the most respected female turf sprinters in the world, making her 3-5 price in the Ladies Sprint no surprise.
Her performance was no surprise either. A close-up fourth as Creative Credit (Creative Cause) flew through a :21.55 first quarter, Campanelle continued rating and was patiently parked in third at the :44.73 half. The bay came flying five wide and menacingly on the outside as Bay Storm (Kantharos), who had been tracking the leader all the way, had the wire measured. The two battled late and drove together down the stretch with neither wanting to give an inch. Campanelle edged in front and Bay Storm fought back, but Campanelle's class prevailed to get her nose down on the wire as Bay Storm had to settle for the runner-up sport after being heartbreakingly close to notching her first graded win.
“She is a fighter,” said Barbara Banke, in whose Stonestreet Stables silks Campanelle runs. “She's super fast, and she is not going to let anyone get by her if she can help it. [Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.] cut it a little close, but she's really good.”
Ortiz agreed: “I love her. She's the most kind, fun to ride. She's crazy good. She made the lead a little earlier today. I hit her a couple of times. She responded so I put the stick away, keeping busy on her. Maybe she got confused a little. But she saw that filly and fought back.”
Pedigree Notes:
Standing at Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland, Kodiac (GB) counts 37 group/graded winners among his 81 Northern Hemisphere-bred black-type winners. Two–Campanelle and English GSW Shaden (Ire)–are out of Namid (GB) mares, quite a statistic since they represent exactly one-third of the stakes winners out of Namid daughters. Tally-Ho, who also bred Campanelle, bought her dam for 39,000gns at Tattersalls July in 2016, got an Exceed And Excel (Aus) filly out of her in 2017, and promptly bred her back to Kodiac, resulting in Campanelle, who is the last reported foal out of Janina (GB).
Saturday, Kentucky Downs
MINT LADIES SPRINT S.-GIII, $736,030, Kentucky Downs, 9-10, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2fT, 1:14.57, fm.
1–CAMPANELLE (IRE), 121, f, 4, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Janina (GB) (SW-Eng), by Namid (GB)
2nd Dam: Lady Dominatrix (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
3rd Dam: Spout House (Ire), by Flash of Steel (Ire)
(190,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC;
B-Tally Ho Stud (IRE); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$317,130. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Filly at 2-European, English &
French Free Hand, G1SW-Fr & Eng, 10-6-0-2, $1,060,417.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bay Storm, 123, f, 4, Kantharos–Stormy Regatta, by
Midshipman. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($400,000 2yo '20
OBSAPR). O-Bridlewood Farm; B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY);
T-Jonathan Thomas. $186,000.
3–She Can't Sing, 123, m, 5, Bernardini–Distorted Music, by
Distorted Humor. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Lothenbach
Stables, Inc. (Bob Lothenbach) (KY); T-Chris M. Block. $93,000.
Margins: NO, 3, 1. Odds: 0.78, 13.17, 33.29.
Also Ran: Brooke Marie, Jouster, Star Devine (Ire), In Good Spirits, Creative Credit, Candace O, Violenza, Elle Z, Tobys Heart. Scratched: Honey Pants, Ready To Venture (GB), Recoded, Touch of Class.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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