Frankel's Ginger Punch Wins BC
Trainer Absent As Filly Beats the Best in Breeders' Cup Distaff
While trainer Bobby Frankel chose to stay home, Ginger Punch punched her own ballot for female older horse honors in winning the competitive BC Distaff Oct. 27th.
Top filly Ginger Punch clipped the rest of the best in the Breeders' Cup $2,070,160 Distaff at Monmouth Park Oct. 27th while her trainer, Bobby Frankel, was absent. All the best came to the races, and Ginger Punch prevailed to add points to her year that may put her in the Female Older Horse of the Year paddock.
A Game Finish
The four-year-old filly, supplemented to the Distaff for $180,000 by owner-breeder Frank Stronach, was second favorite in the race along with Hystericalady. And, indeed, the two of them headed around the final turn together and fought it out gamely. Ginger Punch had the wire by a neck.
In third, a neck behind Hystericalady, came Todd Pletcher trained Octave, the gray who fashioned a strong season.
Tough Tiz's Sis provided the early speed from an outside position, and jockey Rafael Bejarano, aboard Ginger Punch, chose to follow the Tiznow filly through the backstretch. Around both turns, he saved ground for his mount by staying at the rail.
But Bejarano and his filly got squeezed in their inside path at the three-eighths pole by Hystericalady and rider Eddie Castro. Bejarano, nonetheless, successfully guided Ginger Punch to a challenge for the lead, which he said Ginger Punch responded to without hesitation after surviving the tight traffic.
Ginger Punch traveled the 1-1/8 miles in 1:50.11. Florida-bred, Ginger Punch is an Awesome Again product out of the Bold Revenue mare Nappelon.
Frankel's Judgment
Frankel had chosen to stay home with a sick companion. His assistant, Chad Brown, handled Ginger Punch. Brown described Ginger Punch as a fighter in whom Frankel never lost faith.
Stronach trusted his trainer's belief about the filly, saying that he had some misgiving about paying the supplement fee, but in the end went with Frankel's judgment.
Ginger Punch's Career
Although Ginger Punch finished just third in her final prep before the Breeders' Cup at Belmont Park in the Beldame Stakes Sept. 30, she had ripped off three straight wins prior to that race. She won at Belmont Sept. 8 in the Ruffian Handicap, July 28 at Saratoga Race Course in the Go For Wand Handicap, and July 8 at Belmont Park in the First Flight Handicap.
In besting the 12-horse Distaff field, Ginger Punch grabbed a purse of $1,220,400. The win lifted her career earnings to $1,901,679. From 14 starts, she has won seven times.
Tough Tiz's Sis, also a supplemented entry, finished well back, as did Lear's Princess, the favorite.
The Frankel stable has schooled Ginger Punch from the age of two. Brown said the filly may see a five-year-old campaign.
