ARLINGTON: GRADE III MODESTY, AMERICAN DERBY RECAPS

By Brian Spencer —-

DONA BRUJA DAZZLES IN GRADE III MODESTY

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill (July 8, 2017) – Saturday’s Grade III $100,000 Modesty Handicap at Arlington International Racecourse was bet as a two-horse race, with Dom Felipe LLC’s Dona Bruja (Arg) and Phillips Racing Partnership’s Grade I winner Time and Motion sent to post as the joint 1.10-1 favorites, but in the end Dona Bruja turned in an effort that stamped her as one to watch in the filly and mare turf division. The Modesty was one of four Grade III stakes offered on the Ride to the Million card presented by Miller Lite.

Trained by Ignacio Correas, IV, Dona Bruja was making just her second North American start on Saturday after capturing the Grade III Mint Julep Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 10. Ridden by Declan Cannon, the winner settled near the back of the pack behind splits of 24.59, 50.37 and 1:14.08 set by One Liz before angling out once turned into the stretch. Confidently handled by a motionless Cannon until inside the eighth pole, Dona Bruja darted clear once shaken up for a deceptively easy one-length score in a final time of 1:55.75 for the 1 3/16-miles turf trip.

Darrell and Sadie Brommer’s Chris Block-trained Prado’s Sweet Ride finished well up the rail to secure second under Carlos Marquez, Jr. while 1¾ lengths clear of Time and Motion, who easily held third under Florent Geroux for trainer Jimmy Toner.

“I had a lot of confidence in this filly,” Cannon said. “All I wanted to do was get her settled into a nice rhythm, and she relaxed really nice for me, more so today than she has before. She’s very professional.”

“I don’t know what’s the limit, but I have to recognize the perfect ride Declan gave this filly, it was a great ride,” trainer Correas added. “I don’t know if we’ll find [her] ceiling; hopefully we never find it.”

“I had the best trip in the house, I saved all the ground and got through,” Marquez said “I can’t take nothing away from her, she tried very hard and gave me everything.”

“Great trip, unfortunately they weren’t going very fast but my filly kept going on,” Geroux said “The winner was behind me, and when she came by it was just too much.”

Dona Bruja won eight of her 10 starts in her native Argentina prior to her Mint Julep score, and Saturday’s win was her tenth in 12 career tries. She earned $59,400 to build her career bankroll to $340,168 and returned $4.20, $3.20 and $2.20. Prado’s Sweet Ride paid $9.20 and $4.20, with Time and Motion returning $2.20.

Bonita Cat, Daring Duchess and One Liz completed the running order. La Piba and Stormin Elle scratched.

GRADE III MODESTY HANDICAP QUOTES

Declan Cannon (jockey, Dona Bruja, winner): “I had a lot of confidence in this filly. All I wanted to do was get her settled into a nice rhythm, and she relaxed really nice for me, more so today than she has before, she’s very professional.”

Ignacio Correas, IV (trainer, Dona Bruja, winner): “I don’t what’s the limit, but I have to recognize the perfect ride Declan gave this filly, it was a great ride. I don’t know if we’ll find the ceiling, hopefully we never find it.”

Carlos Marquez, Jr (jockey, Prado’s Sweet Ride, 2nd): “I had the best trip in the house, I saved all the ground and got through. I can’t take nothing away from her she tried very hard and gave me everything.”

Florent Geroux (jockey, Time and Motion, 3rd): “Great trip, unfortunately they weren’t going very fast but my filly kept going on. The winner was behind me, and when [Dona Bruja] came by it was just too much. She felt great, when I asked her to go she went forward and passed the two horses in front of her, unfortunately the winner just went right by me.”

SONIC BOOM CRUISES IN GRADE III AMERICAN DERBY

Lothenbach Stables’ Sonic Boom, unbothered by early pace pressure, opened a clear lead on the backstretch and held firm for a facile 1¾-lengths win in Saturday’s Grade III $100,000 American Derby for 3-year-olds at Arlington International Racecourse. The American Derby was one of four Grade III stakes offered on Saturday’s Ride to the Million card presented by Miller Lite.

Ridden by Julien Leparoux for trainer Ian Wilkes, Sonic Boom was pressed immediately out of the gate by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Joe Sharp-trained Hembree, who prompted the winner through early splits of 23.43 and 48.05 before settling in for a spying run under Jose Valdivia, Jr Sonic Boom then established an unchallenged lead on the backstretch, catching a breather through three-quarters in 1:13.65 and a mile in 1:38.35 before kicking clear to finish the 1 1/8-miles trip in 1:49.90.

Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Mike Maker trainee Gorgeous Kitten stayed on well for second under jockey Robby Albarado while unable to seriously threaten the winner. It was another 2¼ lengths back to Captain Jack Racing Stable’s Anthony Granitz-trained My Bariley in third under Santo Sanjur.

“On the backside I felt very comfortable,” Leparoux said. “My horse relaxed for me and was doing it very easy. When I asked him at the quarter pole, he really kicked on nice.”

“This was a step forward for him today,” said Wilkes. “I think with Julien, we figured out how to ride him and let him do his thing.”

“He got out [of the gate] really well,” Albarado offered. “He got positioned well and was exactly where I wanted him and had no problems. Hats off to the winner today.”

Sonic Boom, a son of More Than Ready, won for the fourth time in nine career starts and earned $58,800 to boost his career bankroll to $245,800. He returned $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10 as the post-time favorite, with Gorgeous Kitten returning $2.60 and $2.60. My Bariley paid $5.60.

Imposing Will, Hembree, Kaliningrad and Grand Marais completed the order of finish.

GRADE III AMERICAN DERBY QUOTES

Julien Leparoux (jockey, Sonic Boom, winner): “On the backside I felt very comfortable. My horse relaxed for me and was doing it very easy. When I asked him at the quarter pole, he really kicked on nice.”

Ian Wilkes (trainer, Sonic Boom, winner): “This was a step forward for him today. I think with Julien, we figured out how to ride him, and let him do his thing.”

Robby Albarado (jockey, Gorgeous Kitten, 2nd): “He got out [of the gate] really well. He got positioned well and was exactly where I wanted him and had no problems. Hats off to the winner today.”

Santo Sanjur (jockey, My Bariley, 3rd): “My horse stumbled from the gate at the break, and that cost me a little bit in the race. I tried to stay back and not move too early. In that last part, he made a really great move and got a part. He was very competitive with the horse outside.”