NEWS: RACING

First-time starter Indy’s Lady sparkles in Lady Finger Stakes

Saturday, September 9th, 2017

SV Photography

By Sarah Mace

Debuter Indy’s Lady, a $150,000 2-year-old purchase from the first crop of Take Charge Indy, kicked off her racing career in style at Finger Lakes on Saturday afternoon as a much-the-best, wire-to-wire winner of the co-featured $116,550 Lady Finger Stakes.

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart for owners Orlando DiRienzo and Southfield Farm, Indy’s Lady came into the Lady Finger with eight published works at the Spa, the most recent being a gate move on August 17.

One of seven 2-year-old New York-bred fillies lined up in the gate to go six furlongs, Indy’s Lady was partnered with leading Finger Lakes’ jockey John Davila, Jr. As an unknown quantity, the dark bay filly was let go at 7-1 odds.

Indy’s Lady sprinted out of post five at the bell and, through a first quarter mile in 22.45, pressed the pace just to the inside of speedy fellow first-time starter Wild Witch (22-1). Relentless in pursuit, Indy’s Lady took over in the approach to the far turn, and “that was all she wrote.”

A length to the good at the head of the stretch after a half-mile in 46.36, Indy’s Lady kicked clear and drew off at will to end up all alone at the wire as an 8-length winner in a final time of 1:12.04.

One Last Cast closed from fifth to finish second, a half-length in front of Salty Smile in third. A neck back, odds-on favorite Droselmeyr’s Smile finished fourth followed across the finish line by Scintillation, Wild Witch and Scatback. [VIDEO REPLAY]

Indy’s Lady, who earned the $69,930 winner’s share of the Lady Finger Purse, was bred by Alan R. Cook and is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning New York-bred sprinter Filibustin (Bustin Stones). The filly’s dam is West-Virginia-bred Sweet Aloha, a six-figure earner, all three of whose foals to race are winners and black-type performers. Sweet Aloha has a yearling colt by Forty Tales and was bred back to Bustin Stones in the spring.

Indy’s Lady sold first as weanling at the 2015 Keeneland November sale, where she went to OWL Stable for $65,000. Failing to meet her reserve when bid up to $48,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale, when offered this past May at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale, she posted a sharp :10 1/5 furlong in the under-tack show and was purchased by Orlando Di Rienzo for $150,000.

 

One Response to “First-time starter Indy’s Lady sparkles in Lady Finger Stakes”

  1. Orlando Di Rienzo says:

    Very good article, thank you

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