In upper stretch of the $100,000 Dance to Bristol Stakes, Angel At War spurted clear of her nearest rivals and looked to have the race in her pocket. But then the locally based Lake Ponchatrain found her best gear and roared by to a 1 1/2-length, going-away victory under jockey Xavier Perez.
Keep Your Distance set quick fractions of 23.05 seconds and 47.08 in the Dance for Bristol, a seven-furlong race for fillies and mares. She was challenged on the far turn by Angel At War and Frosty Margarita while 3-5 favorite Ascertain was being asked but was not responding in fourth.
At that point, Lake Ponchatrain still had a lot of work to do. Perez took her wide into the stretch and she proved clearly best in the final furlong despite Perez dropping his whip in upper stretch.
Angel At War finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of In the Navy Now, who checked in third. Ascertain ended up fourth.
Angel At War was one of our OPTIMAL Mating Selections for the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. She was purchased for $15,000 and has now earned $149,010.
Whether you are new to the game, experiencing more losses than wins or just looking for a new approach, we are confident that we can help you breed or buy a better racehorse. To find out more about OPTIMAL Matings and how they can help your program, download a complimentary copy of Clark Shepherd’s “Blind Luck Or Designed Luck?: How A Kentucky Derby Winner Was Bred” at: https://www.shepherdequineadvisers.com/free-report/
For inquiries or more information about Shepherd Equine Advisers, please contact Clark Shepherd at 859-321-6618, or by email at [email protected].