Sent off at a small slice of the overlaid 32-1 she offered on her Sept. 11 debut, China Horse Club's Yellow Agate plugged on gamely in the final eighth of a mile and nailed pacesetting Libby's Tail on the money to become the first Grade I winner for her freshman sire (by Tiznow) in Saturday's GI Frizette S.
A $210,000 graduate of the 2015 Keeneland September sale, Yellow Agate was the most expensive of her sire's first-crop fillies to sell as yearlings, but she was friendless in the market for her six-furlong bow, due in large part to the presence of Amapola (Broken Vow), who took all the pari-mutuel action at 45 cents on the dollar. Well back early that Sunday afternoon as the chalk set a pressured pace, Yellow Agate picked her way through traffic with an inside run on the turn, came back out in upper stretch and finished well for a half-length upset.
Stretching out to the mile for this and backed late into favoritism, the China Horse Club runner found herself last but one early as Libby's Tail got her opening quarter-mile in a sensible :22.86 tracked all the while by second favorite and GII Adirondack S. victrix Nonna Mela (Arch). The front-runner was allowed to bowl along up front through a half in :45.69, but further back in the field, Yellow Agate was creeping into the picture while three wide on the track. The favorite was asked for an effort at the five-sixteenths, took aim on the pacesetter in the final eighth of a mile, and though Libby's Tail proved a stubborn rival, Yellow Agate proved narrowly best in the finish.
“I wanted her to break good and I wanted to settle her down, because I knew she was going from short to long today,” said jockey Manny Franco, winning his second Grade I in two weeks. “I just wanted her to relax and be comfortable and I made my move at the right time. At the quarter pole, she didn't switch leads, so I worked on her and she gave me that second reaction.”
As for what might be in the future, the always pragmatic Christophe Clement said, “First, let's enjoy this for a day or two. I'm aware of the Breeders' Cup. I'm also aware of other things. I'll have to speak to my owner about the next step but let's just see how she comes out of this race and go from there.”
Pedigree Notes:
The winner's dam, unplaced in one career start in California for breeder A. Douglas Henderson's Marablue Farm, was offered at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale, but was led out unsold on a bid of $22,000. A. Marablue campaigns the mare's first foal, the Mark Casse-trained 3-year-old filly Lemon Sorbet (Gio Ponti), who was the close runner-up in a grassy Woodbine maiden allowance Oct. 1. Lemon Squeeze produced a full-sister to Yellow Agate this past January and visited Congrats in the 2016 breeding season. Yellow Agate hails from the extended female family of 1988 G1 Dewhurst S. winner and successful sire Scenic (Ire).
Saturday, Belmont
FRIZETTE S.-GI, $400,000, BEL, 10-8, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:35.82, ft.
1–#@&YELLOW AGATE, 120, f, 2, by Gemologist
1st Dam: Lemon Sorbet, by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Flabbergasted (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Idyllic, by Foolish Pleasure
($70,000 Wlg '14 KEENOV; $210,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-China
Horse Club; B-Marablue Farm LLC (KY); T-Christophe Clement;
J-Manuel Franco. $240,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 2-2-0-0,
$285,000. *First stakes winner for freshman sire (by Tiznow).[bullet ad=”bluewater-shell-big-fish”][bullet ad=”bluewater-hip-1715″][bullet ad=”mulholland-springs-boots”][bullet ad=”hunter-valley-farm-ted-campion”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]Werk Nick Rating: First SW from this cross. Click for
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Libby's Tail, 120, f, 2, Tiz Wonderful–Christmas Lily, by
Marquetry. ($24,000 RNA Ylg '15 FTKJUL; $375,000 2yo '16
OBSAPR). O-M. Dubb, E. Taylor, D. Simon, E. Loftus &
Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Rudy R.
Rodriguez. $80,000.[bullet ad=”kim-valerio-purchased”][bullet ad=”kings-equine-single-bullet”]3–Colorful Charades, 120, f, 2, Discreet Cat–Laila's Punch, by
Two Punch. ($45,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $130,000 2yo '16
OBSAPR). O-Michael J Ryan; B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY);
T-Rudy R. Rodriguez. $40,000.[bullet ad=”stonehaven-bred-raised-and-sold”][bullet ad=”xib-purchase”][bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-graduate”]Margins: HD, 9 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 1.35, 6.80, 23.90.
Also Ran: Nonna Mela, Sky Gesture, Star Super.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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