Photo: Adam Coglianese
R Betty Graybull’s fans may have grown accustomed to her late-stretch dramatics in sprints, but the five-year-old gray daughter of Holy Bull performed her magic in a new way on Saturday, when she surged from last to first going nine furlongs to win the 140th running of Aqueduct’s open $100,000 Ladies Handicap.
R Betty Graybull went into the Ladies Handicap in extremely good form, with three wins and second place finish to show for her last five starts, dating back to September 2010. Her only unsuccessful outing was in her prior start, Laurel’s Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie H. on February 19th when she appeared not to relish the surface and never made a bid. During this productive period, R Betty Graybull won Belmont’s restricted Anniron stakes in September, finished second to Meese Rocks in the Iroquois on New York-bred Showcase Day, captured an open $55,600 conditioned allowance race at Parx Racing in December, and took the Leecoo for state-breds at Aqueduct in January. In the Parx allowance and Leecoo, she also demonstrated that she could successfully stretch out to a mile and navigate two turns.
For all of R Betty Graybull’s recent and past accomplishments for trainer Linda Wright and the late Alan Seewald, two things stood out on paper that made the Ladies Handicap look like a testing challenge. The mare had no previous start at a mile and an eighth, and the field also contained an extremely formidable-looking rival in Quiet Giant, a four-year-old daughter of Giant’s Causeway bred by Edward P. Evans. Quiet Giant had just reeled off three straight stakes victories over the Aqueduct inner oval, winning by more than 20 combined lengths, including, a nine-length victory in her last start, the 1 1/8-mile Rare Treat.
The two main rivals bookended the five-horse field in the gate, with 2-to-5 favorite Quiet Giant and David Cohen at the rail and 5-to-2 second choice R Betty Graybull breaking from the outside under Eddie Castro – also aboard for R Betty Graybull’s victory in the Leecoo. As expected, Quiet Giant, who is a front-running type, struck the lead, while R Betty Graybull let the field clear to her inside, and proceeded in a completely unhurried fashion, letting the next back marker open up as much as five lengths in the early stages.
Quiet Giant led the field through strong quarters of 23.02 of 47.49, pressed loosely by Grade 3-placed Speightful Affair, while R Betty Graybull continued to lope along at the back. In the approach to the far turn R Betty Graybull began to gather momentum and, after closing ground, split horses and swung out into the three path for the stretch drive. Between the three-sixteenths and sixteenth markers, she gained ground with every stride, making up all but one length on Quiet Giant. Nine more strides brought R Betty Graybull on even terms with the leader. Six more gave her a thrilling three-quarter length margin of victory at the wire. [VIDEO]
After three quarters in 1:11.77, the final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.56. R Betty Graybull’s first non-restricted stakes victory also earned a robust 94 Beyer Speed figure, which was a career best in her 21 lifetime starts.
After the race Linda White explained why R Betty Graybull had not yet been tested at the distance, and also why, when tested, she passed with flying colors. “Alan [Seewald] was always afraid to stretch her out because she had knee surgery as a two-year-old and he thought it’d be too hard on her knees to change leads going around two turns,” White said. “But she is certainly bred for the distance. With her running style, she is easy on herself.” White was also quick to credit Seewald for the mare’s continuing success. “We bought this horse when Alan was alive, and he put the foundation in her. He is credited for where she is today.”
Winning pilot Eddie Castro had everything he wanted from his mount on Saturday. “I know they had a lot of speed up front, and I rode the same as the last time I was on her [winning the Leecoo]. I let her drop back, relax, and make a run. She really responded when I asked her. She is a nice filly and has a lot of fight.”
Since R Betty Graybull last had a photo taken, Stronach Stables has joined Bob Hutt’s Fantasy Lane Stables on the ownership line. The mare has now won four stakes races (including the restricted NATC Futurity at Monmouth in the middle of a strong juvenile campaign), boasts an overall record of 8-3-3 from 21 starts and has earned $429,817. White plans to see how R Betty Graybull exits the race before making firm plans for her next start.
Bred in New York by Pegasus Farms, Inc. and purchased as a yearling for $37,000 in 2007 by Ed Lipton at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred sale, R Betty Graybull is the best of four starters (three winners, all New York-breds) out of the unraced Evansville Slew mare Hey Darla. Hey Darla’s New York-bred three-year-old, There Goes Molly (Chief Seattle) placed twice at two. The mare has a yearling colt by Grand Slam and was bred in 2010 to Big Brown.
