NEWS: RACING

Quezon stays perfect in state-bred company with Bouwerie score

Monday, May 25th, 2015
NYRA/Adam Coglianese

NYRA/Adam Coglianese

by Sarah Mace

Making only her fourth career start as well as her sophomore bow on Monday, Marc Keller’s Quezon (Tiz Wonderful) emerged as a much-the-best winner of the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs, chalking up a third victory in as many starts in New York-bred company at Belmont Park.

Last seen on November 29, when she finished fourth behind runaway winner Condo Commando in the Grade 2 Demoiselle, Quezon brought a sharp work tab into her first start of 2015, culminating in a three-furlong blowout on May 21 in :36 seconds flat.

Breaking from mid-pack in the competitive nine-horse field, Quezon settled off the pace in seventh position in the three path as The Lewis Dinner and Lakeside Sunset knocked heads up front through a challenging early splits in 22.58 and 45.73.

Quezon launched a big three-wide move in the far turn as the top two continued to vie on the lead, striking the head of the stretch on nearly even terms. At this point Quezon angled out yet wider for the drive.

Charging down the middle of the track, albeit on the wrong lead, Quezon swept past runner-up Lakeside Sunset in the final furlong and drew off to a decisive 3 1/4-length win. Temper Mint Patty closed into the third spot from midpack, followed across the line by Hot City Girl. The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:23.17. [VIDEO]

A six-length winner of her career debut on September 17, 2014, an off-the-turf six-furlong maiden special weight over a muddy sealed track, Quezon ratified that victory by winning the Maid of the Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day by the same impressive margin. From her three Belmont victories she has earned $322,292.

Winning trainer Bobby Ribaudo focused on room for improvement in this talented filly’s performances. “If you watch (Quezon’s) replays, she hasn’t changed [leads] yet,” said Ribaudo. “That’s what she did in the Demoiselle, too. We work on it [in the mornings], but in the heat of battle, it takes a little bit of concentration and she loses that little bit of concentration. We’re still working on it. I’d rather see her switch than not, but it hasn’t hurt her so far.”

Winning jockey Manuel Franco said, “I just followed the instructions Bobby told me, ‘Just try to relax her the first part, take her back and give her one move.’ She didn’t switch leads, but she always runs like that and I didn’t want her to lose her momentum, so I just let her run like that.”

Bred by Apache Farm LLC and foaled at Apache Farm North in Mt. Morris, she is the only reported foal out of Kalookan Dancer, a multiple stakes-winning California-bred daughter of Olympio, who last changed hands at the 2009 Keeneland November sale, going to Jane Moriarty for $20,000. Quezon was a $90,000 purchase by Riverside Stable at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale in 2013.

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