Zagora all the way to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf victory
Martin S. Schwartz’s 5-year-old mare, Zagora, stole the show late in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf from a stubborn looking, Marketing Mix, who showed some real good pace in the early stages of the race, but fell victim to Zagora’s penetrating
run in the field of 11 to notch a massive victory for her connections.
The highly favoured, The Fugue, all the way from England was bottled up on the inside when it mattered the most, and was never spared any room in the dying stages of the race, but still managed a third in a tightly run race.
The 1 ¼ mile distance was covered by Zagora in 1 minute and 59.70 seconds and posted her tenth career victory. Chad Brown trained mare was settled nicely by Javier Castellano in second as the field broke, just behind longshot Stormy Lucy, but she gave in
early as another longshot, Star Billing took over after the first turn.
Marketing Mix closely followed Zagora in third, but after rounding off the first turn, the rankings were shuffled as Javier Castellano pegged Zagora back to race in fourth, consequently giving Marketing Mix enough room to push for the lead.
Shifting from the rail to the outside, Zagora was in an aggressive mood, and she wasn’t looking for a mild finish, especially with some tough handling, she was able to spurt forward with ambition to take down Marketing Mix, and so she did by three quarter
of a length.
"She had everything go her way today," said Brown, who was winning his second Breeders' Cup. "She got the turf she likes, she got a great trip, and she's been training great. I've never seen her look better health wise. Everything came together for her today
and it couldn't happen to a horse that deserved it more.”
The mare by, Green Tune, landed her fifth victory of the season, previously taking Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes, Grade 3 Hillsborough Stakes, Grade 3 Gallorette Handicap, and the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes.
The Filly and Mare Turf was the mare’s first grade 1 victory of the season, and she couldn’t have times it better than this.
Tags: