Aruna spurted past her rivals to score on her Poly Track debut at Keeneland in the Spinster Stakes
In the field of 12 fillies and mares, the 4-year-old Graham Motion trained filly, Aruna swept past her rivals to score in her Poly Track debut at Keeneland in the Grade 1, $500,000 Spinster Stakes on 9 October, 2011.
The daughter of Mr. Greeley, out of Surya by Unbridled, Aruna has run exclusively on grass in the 2011 season, and at Keeneland had the opportunity to rule the synthetic surface which she proudly did against a massive field under jockey Ramon Dominguez.
Aruna started her career in France back in 2009, and in her seven starts in United States, Aruna has never finished worse than second since she got transferred from France in 2010.
Her greatest threat in the Grade 1 Spinster was always going to come from the 5-year-old mare Pachattack, who finished second in her last start in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga on dirt.
Under jockey Rajiv Maragh, Pachattack came off the pace and quickly installed herself in the fourth position, while Aruna far out on the course was getting ready to take command of the situation under jockey Ramon Dominguez.
It was Embur’s Song who jumped into the front with a lively pace in the beginning of the race, while setting fractions of 23.39 seconds for the opening quarter mile, 46.41 seconds for the half mile and 1 minute and 10.76 seconds for six furlongs.
Dynazaper stepped forward to challenge the pace setter, but wilted in the upper stretch and that is where Aruna and Pachattack turned in a massive rally for supremacy.
Pachattack ran from fourth on Aruna’s inside, but Aruna held on with determination as Pachattack failed to get on with even terms with the winner.
The Gerard Butler trained filly, Pachattack fell short of the target as the rampant filly Aruna completed the 1 1/8 mile distance in 1 minute and 47.88 seconds.
The Flaxman Stable owned filly, Aruna was coming off a second place finish in the Grade 1 Diana Handicap, and her win in the Spinster Stakes gave her a starting berth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Churchill Downs on 4 November.
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