by Sarah Mace
Marlene Brody’s Gallagher’s Stud homebred Inimitable Romanee (Maria’s Mon) put a third Grade 3 feather in her cap at Keeneland on Thursday, charging down the center of the course under jockey Alan Garcia to edge Aigue Marine at the wire and give trainer Graham Motion his second consecutive victory in the race.
Drawn in the outside post of 12 for the three-turn 1 1/2-mile grass contest, and sent off at ultra-generous 14-1 odds as the 123-pound high weight in the deep field of fillies and mares, Inimitable Romanee was hustled out of the gate at the bell and settled in sixth position behind pacesetter Viva Rafaela.
Continuing to travel mid-pack around the circuit, the grey bided her time, but ended up hemmed in on the final turn before Garcia angled her far to the outside entering the stretch.
Finding another gear, Inimitable Romanee began to pass horses and narrow the gap to Aigue Marine (20-1), who had wrested the lead from Viva Rafaela after ten furlongs.
Striving to the wire, Inimitable Romanee got a nose in front for the victory.
Caroline Thomas followed Aigue Marine across the finish line for the show. The final time for the 1 1/2 miles over the firm turf was 2:32.29. Click here for a Keeneland video clip.
Victorious jockey Alan Garcia said, “The (outside 12) post position I had was a little difficult. I had to use my filly a little bit in the first part of the race. After that, I wanted to save all the ground I could. In the last part, I said, ‘Let me move out and see if she’s good enough.’ She was good today; she was the best.”
Conditioned for Gallagher’s Stud by Graham Motion, who captured the Grade 3 Bewitch last year with Strathnaver (GB), Inimitable Romanee has had an outstanding run in 2013-14, triumphing on Thursday in her third graded event in four starts dating back to November 9, when she won the Grade 3 Long Island Handicap over good going at longshot odds of 28-1. Following a winter break, she ratified that victory by taking The Very One at Gulfstream in February at 10-1. In the Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream Park on March 29 at shorter odds of 3-1, Inimitable Romanee had an uncharacteristically disappointing outing, tiring to finish seventh of eight.
All of Inimitable Romanee’s recent graded success has come at long distances – 1 3/8 miles or longer. After her coup in The Very One, Motion said, “I’m not surprised that she’s come into herself, I should have tried her at a mile and a half about three years ago, I guess.”
Mrs. Brody’s lead-in (Keeneland photo)
After beginning her career in England and breaking her maiden at second asking at Bath in October 2010 for trainer Amanda Perrett, 6-year-old Inimitable Romanee was a model of consistency for Motion in the highly in the very competitive New York-bred filly and mare turf division before having her breakthough victory in The Very One, earning placings in the Irish Linnet, John Hettinger (twice), Mount Vernon, On The Bus and Yaddo against the likes of Dayatthespa, Effie Trinket and Hessonite. Her record now stands at 5-6-5 from 23 career starts with nearly half a million dollars in earnings ($473,875).
Inimitable Romanee, is one of two winners out of Cellars Shiraz, a Florida-bred daughter of Kissin Kris out of a stakes winning dam. A winner of eight stakes races on both dirt and turf, including the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride S., Cellars Shiraz earned $728,410 and brought $415,000 at the 2004 Keeneland November sale.
Cellars Shiraz’ other winning foal, is Classic Vintage, a bay colt by El Prado, earned $144,228 in England. She currently has a 3-year-old colt by Medaglia d’Oro named Resolve who has not started, a 2-year-old colt by Tapit named Vintage Matters and an unnamed yearling colt by Giant’s Causeway. She was bred to Kitten’s Joy in 2013.
