Alpha Delta Stables' graded stakes winner Liguria made her second start off the layoff a winning one with a last-to-first rush in Saturday's $150,000 Wild Applause, a one-mile Widener turf test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont Park.
Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of War Front provided Brown with his fourth win in this event and finished three-quarter lengths ahead of stablemate Tax Implications to give their conditioner the exacta.
Ridden from post three by Irad Ortiz Jr., Liguria broke sharply to come out in front of the eight-horse field, but took back as Kerry and Breath Away rushed to the front from the two outermost posts. The Dylan Davis-piloted Soviet Excess attempted to join the fray but steadied and shuffled back to race midpack. Meanwhile, a headstrong Im Just Kiddin advanced along the inside as Kerry marked an opening quarter-mile in :23.65 over the firm footing.
Ortiz bided his time aboard Liguria as positions remained unchanged down the backstretch through a half-mile in :47.18 and three-quarters in 1:11.18. A stubborn Kerry clung to a precarious lead as the field straightened for home with the race appearing wide open as Liguria tracked behind a wall of foes and was swung to the far outside to follow the run of Tax Implications, who rallied from last down the backstretch to come into contention at the eighth pole. The two drew away from the rest of the field in deep stretch before Liguria made one last surge in the final strides to sweep past her stablemate and land the victory in a final time of 1:35.01, returning $5.60 for a $2 win ticket as the 9-5 post-time favorite.
It was another two lengths back to Soviet Excess, who held show honors by a neck over Cecile. Breath Away, Im Just Kiddin, Violet Gibson and Kerry completed the order of finish. Main track-only entrant Shidabhuti was scratched.
Brown praised the efforts of both his horses, and noted the adversity Liguria overcame to notch the victory.
“Liguria really caught a flyer out of the gate. She broke good but some other horses passed her on the backside and Irad lost a little position there,” said Brown, who scored back-to-back Wild Applause coups after sending out Eminent Victor to win last year. “Both horses were traveling beautifully, but as the horses in front of them started to take a hold and try to slow the pace down, I was a little concerned. I thought it was maybe too much to do, but she was brilliant today.”
Ortiz aboard Liguria for the first time in the afternoon, said the bay filly responded well when asked to maneuver around the field in midstretch.
“She broke quick but after that I just let her be where she wants to be,” said Ortiz “I think she had the best races coming up to it, so I wasn't afraid to be wherever she wants to be. I take my time and when I asked her, she was full of run. I was comfortable where I was and I feel I was loaded every step of the way. She gave me a good feeling. It's nice to ride those kind.”
Liguria, bred in Kentucky by Tada Nobutaka from the Woodman mare Lerici, was a winner at second asking in October at Belmont at the Big A and followed with her first stakes triumph in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante in December at Del Mar to close out her juvenile season. She kicked off her current campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Edgewood on May 5 at Churchill Downs ahead of the Wild Applause.
Brown said Liguria did not handle the turf at Churchill, but found her best stride over Belmont's Widener course.
“Most of mine have run significantly better when I put them on turf where they can get their toe in the ground,” said Brown. “It doesn't have to be soft, just nice fair ground – lush ground, that you can get your toe in and push. That's the way I train my horses, so when they can't push off they're not as effective.”
Brown added the Grade 3, $175,000 Lake George going one mile on July 21 at Saratoga Race Course is “a logical race” for both Liguria and Tax Implications.
Manny Franco, aboard Klaravich Stables' Tax Implications, said he had no choice but to go wide with the daughter of Mehmas, who raced for the first time since finishing second in the Chelsey Flower in October at Belmont at the Big A.
“I had to go wide because everybody was bunched up,” Franco said. “I didn't have anywhere to go. I moved when I had to move but that may have cost me a little bit. She ran good. I think she's a very nice filly and she's more straightforward now than she was last time.”
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