Churchill Downs: Our Pretty Woman, Webslinger win stakes

Promising 3-year-old filly Our Pretty Woman rebounded from an 11th place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks to collect her first stakes win with a three-quarters of a length triumph over Intricate in the third running of the $173,700 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes on Saturday night at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and ridden by Luis Saez, Our Pretty Woman clocked 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.07.

Our Pretty Woman, who qualified for the Kentucky Oaks with a second-place finish to Tarifa in March’s Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), relaxed in third position after the break as Lucky Speech led the compact field of five 3-year-old fillies with Merasol Sugar in close pursuit through leisurely fractions of 25.08 and 49.96 seconds.

“I wanted to make sure she stayed close,” Saez said. “There wasn’t a lot of speed in the race. We were in a good spot around the first turn and she settled well on the backside.”

Merasol Sugar pulled her way to the front into the final turn but Our Pretty Woman quickly ranged into contention as the field hit the top of the stretch in 1:13.98. Merasol Sugar began to tire with three-sixteenths of mile to run and Our Pretty Woman opened up by 1 1/2 lengths as Intricate, the Golden Rod (G2) winner and Rachel Alexandra (G2) runner-up, hit her best stride late. Our Pretty Woman had enough to left to turn back the late run.

“Down the stretch she finished up well,” Saez said. “She’s a very nice filly and I’m proud of her effort tonight.”

The triumph was worth $107,200 and boosted Our Pretty Woman’s bankroll to $272,400 from a record of 5: 3-1-0.

“I thought Luis did a good job around the first turn to get her into a close spot with the way the pace shaped up,” said Asmussen’s chief assistant Scott Blasi. “She’s a very talented 3-year-old filly. There are a lot of races around the country that she’d fit in for the rest of the summer and fall. We’ll enjoy this race tonight and look forward to what could be next for her.”

Our Pretty Woman is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro out of the Speightstown mare Dazzletown. She is owned by Courtlandt Farms and was bred by Woods Edge Farm and Godolphin.

Our Pretty Woman, the even-money favorite, returned $4.02, $2.44 and $2.10. Intricate, second in the betting at odds of 2-1 under Tyler Gaffalione, returned $3.12 and $2.20 and finished 2 ½ lengths in front of 5-2 Band of Gold who paid $2.18 to show under Brian Hernandez Jr.

Merasol Sugar finished fourth and Lucky Speech was fifth. Promisemeanempire was scratched.

Webalinger runs down Sugoi in Chorleywood Stakes

Webslinger, third last time out in the $1 million Bourbon Turf Classic (G1) on the Kentucky Derby undercard, collected the fourth stakes win of his career and third at Churchill Downs when he displayed a powerful closing kick to run down Louisville Stakes (G3) winner Sugoi in deep stretch to prevail in Saturday night’s second running of the $165,900 Chorleywood Overnight Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths.

Trained by Mark Casse, 4-year-old Webslinger ran 1 3/8 miles over firm turf in 2:14.58 under jockey Jose Ortiz.

In somewhat of a surprise move, Stone Age went to the front in the turf marathon ahead of Sugoi, who led from gate-to-wire in last month’s Louisville Stakes. The two were well clear of the others through fractions of 24.47, 48.38, 1:13.72 and 1:38.55 as Webslinger relaxed behind with only one horse beat, Bold Act, in the field of seven older horses.

“He broke well today, and he never really shows much speed early,” Ortiz said. “So, I dropped to the rail and tried to save as much ground as I could. He’s pretty easy to ride so I was confident whenever I needed to tip him out that I’d be able to. I knew the pace would be fast when I saw tonight (jockey) Brian (Hernandez Jr.) go to the lead (on Stone Age) over Sugoi who had an easy lead in the Louisville Stakes when he went 50 for the half-mile. So I just let my horse travel well within himself.”

Webslinger was asked for his best run midway through the final turn and he quickly improved position as Sugoi grabbed the lead from a tiring Stone Age off the final turn. Webslinger tipped out to the four-path in upper stretch and charged home to collar Sugoi inside final sixteenth of a mile for the convincing victory.

“He fought pretty hard to the wire,” Ortiz said. “I think the way he settled today, he should have no issues going an extra furlong if he needed to.”

Webslinger, the 7-5 betting favorite, rewarded his backers by paying $2 mutuel returns of $4.98, $3.04 and $2.26. Sugoi, the 7-2 third choice under jockey Julien Leparoux, returned $4.26 and $2.60. Bold Act, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, was another three-quarters of a length back in third and paid $2.38 as the 2-1 second betting choice.

Anglophile was fourth and was followed by Stone Age, Red Run and Winning Spirit. King Curlin, Tawny Port, Utah Beach and Wind Twist were scratched.

The Chorleywood was Webslinger’s third stakes win beneath Churchill Downs’ Twin Spires. Last year, he won the $500,000 American Turf (G2) and $225,000 Audubon during the Spring Meet. Webslinger also won the $510,000 Nownownow at Monmouth Park as a 2-year-old.

The $105,836 Chorleywood first prize pushed Webslinger’s bankroll to $1,371,156 with a record of 17: 5-4-4.

Owned by D.J. Stable, Webslinger is a gelded son of Constitution out of the Hard Spun mare Arana and was bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey.