Hystericalady and Proud Spell Win
Victory Qualifies Mare for Breeders' Cup; Mother Goose Loss Over
Hystericalady punched her ticket to the Breeders' Cup World Championships with a stirring victory in the Delaware Handicap, grade II, July 13. The $1,000,900 purse put $600,000 in the winner's bankroll. Hystericalady's 10th triumph from 20 starts boosted her lifetime earnings to $2,110,556.
Unbridled Belle, trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Team Valor, finished third. She won the Delaware Handicap in 2007.
Hystericalady Qualifies for Breeders' Cup
Part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" series, the Delaware Handicap is a 1-1/4 miles race that Hystericalady covered in 2:02.37 while turning back her best challenger, Lemon Drop Mom, by four lengths.
Jockey Garrett Gomez guided the 5-year-old mare to the wire with a left-handed cue that Hystericalady responded to with a dominating sprint that separated her from the field. Gomez said Hystericalady "hit another gear" as the pair came off the final turn.
The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained mare qualified for the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic scheduled for October 24 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. Last season, Hystericalady bowed in that contest to trainer Bobby Frankel's talented Ginger Punch.
Sired by Distorted Humor, Hystericalady is out of Sacramentada (CHI), by Northair. She is owned by Hollendorfer, George Todaro, and Rancho San Miguel Farms.
Proud Spell Rebounds to Win Delaware Oaks
After a bad trip in the Mother Goose Stakes two weeks previous to the Delaware Oaks, 3-year-old filly Proud Spell got her gears together and rushed home under Gabriel Saez to score a 3/4 length win over African Violet in the $500,300, 1-1/16 miles Delaware contest. Proud Spell, trained by Larry Jones, covered the track in time of 1:43.34.
Saez had the Delaware distance calculated, he said, rating his charge in fourth position before asking her to kick in at the far turn. Proud Spell kept her sights securely aimed at the leader, African Violet, and ran three-wide while steadily gaining ground toward the wire.
She's All Eltish finished third, 2 lengths behind African Violet.
Proud Spell raised her earnings to $1,615,110 with her sixth win in 10 starts. Out of Pacific Spell, by Langfuhr, Proud Spell is a daughter of Proud Citizen. She is a homebred owned by Bereton Jones.
Music Note Won Mother Goose Stakes
In a major upset, A.P. Indy daughter Music Note won the Mother Goose Stakes over Proud Spell, who stumbled at the start and wobbled to the wire to face a stretch interference call that disqualified her to third. Never Retreat was awarded second place.
Music Note won by 3-1/2 lengths in the June 28 contest at Belmont Park. She is out of Note Musicale, an unraced mare bred at Gainesway by Sadler's Wells.
Music Note races for Godolphin Racing and is trained by Saeed bin Suroor.
