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Oleksandra lands Grade 1 at Belmont
It is rare for an Australian bred to even run in America, let alone land a Grade 1, but on Saturday night the Team Valor-raced Oleksandra (6 m ex Alexandra Rose by Caesour) bucked that trend when she landed the Jaipur Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Belmont handing her sire - former Arrowfield shuttler Animal Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux) - with his second top-flight winner and first in America.
Trained in Australia by Bjorn Baker, the mare placed in all three starts, before her owner/breeder Team Valor sent her to Neil Drysdale in California.
Last seen running second in the Monrovia Stakes (Gr 2, 5.5f), having taken out the Franklin County Stakes (Gr 3, 5.5f) in October and she was up against the males on Saturday.
The filly produced a brave performance to come out on top of a close finish to beat Kanthaka (Jimmy Creed) by neck with another length and a quarter back to Texas Wedge (Colonel John) in third.
"I think today was her day," said Team Valor founder and CEO Barry Irwin told Bloodhorse. "She had a nice little run, had that great prep. She loves Belmont Park. They were smoking. We got Rosario on her again. It just had all the earmarks of her day.”
Irwin said the mare would now head to the Breeders’ Cup meeting in November, which would be her last race.
"We're looking forward to the Breeders' Cup because she showed she really likes that Keeneland course. That'll be her last race."
Oleksandra is out of South African Grade 2 winner Alexandra Rose (Caesour), making her a half-sister to two winners including the Listed placed Hostwin Galaxy (Redoute’s Choice).
Alexandra Rose is a half-sister to Listed winner and Grade 1-placed Pavlovich (Soviet Star) and fellow stakes scorers Alexandra Palace (Jet Master) and Alexa (Caesour). Alexandra Rose is also the grandam of Golden Horseshoe Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Forest Indigo (Judpot) and Listed winner All At Once (Captain Al).
Animal Kingdom shuttled to Australia for four seasons and the mare joins Angel Of Truth - winner of the Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) in 2019 - as her sires other Group 1 winner.
Later on in the afternoon at Belmont, Tiz The Law (3 c Constitution - Tizfiz by Tiznow) landed his third Grade 1 race when he took out the Belmont Stakes (Gr 1, 9f).
The three-year-old colt pulled clear to beat Dr Post (Quality Road) by three and three quarter lengths with another length and a half back to Max Player (Honor Code) in third.
Prior to winning the first leg of the Triple Crown, Tiz The Law won the Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 8f) as a two-year-old and was last seen winning the Florida Derby (Gr 1, 9f) in March.
The colt was purchased by Jack Knowlton for US$110,000 at the Fasig Tipton Saratoga New York Bred Yearling Sale and he is out of Grade 2 Tizfiz (Tiznow), who is herself a sister to Grade 3 winner Fury Kapcori, while she also counts Listed winner Dixie Commander (Dixie Union) as one of her half-siblings.
Earlier in the afternoon, a new superstar was born in the form of the Bob Baffert-trained Gamine (3 f ex Peggy Jane by Kafwain) who had no issues with the major step in class, destroying her rivals in the Acorn Stakes (Gr 1, 8f) and in the process became the sixth top-flight winner for the Spendthrift Farm-based stallion Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday).
Coming into the Group 1 the three-year-old filly was unbeaten in her two career starts, but this was her first try at stakes level and she ran out an emphatic winner, beating Pleasant Orb (Orb) by a mind-blowing 18 and a three quarter lengths.
Leading from the start, Gamine posted early fractions under jockey John Velazquez of :22.48 and :45.28 through the first half-mile. She was ahead by nine and half lengths in the home straight and stopped the clock in 1:32.55, breaking the record set by You (You And I) in 2002 (1:34.05).
There was always a lot expected from the filly, having cost her owner Michael Lund Petersen US$1.8 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Spring 2YO Sale.
The filly is out of dual-winning mare Peggy Jane (Kafwain) and is from the same family as Grade 3 winner Dynamic Sky (Sky Mesa).
"It was an amazing race out of her. Especially coming into a Grade 1 (in) only her third start," Jimmy Barnes, who was representing Baffert, told Bloodhorse. "Johnny rode her right to the way we told him to go. We told him to take advantage of her position, and he certainly did."