OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Champagne Poetry, a close second in the seven-furlong Ruthless on February 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack, drew post 5 in the Main Line at Parx Racing on March 8 for her first start since her narrow defeat to Shotgun Hottie. Trevor McCarthy will ride.
Trained by Chad Summers, the bay Carpe Diem filly stalked the pace in the Ruthless under Dylan Davis, taking second at the half-mile marker and grinding away on the inside path to come to even terms with pacesetter and next-out winner Lady Milagro. With 70 yards to the finish, Champagne Poetry briefly took the lead from Lady Milagro but was nabbed by Shotgun Hottie at the wire and lost by a nose.
“Watching it at the wire, we thought we won, but she came up short,” Summers said.
Owned by Jonathan Hardoon, the daughter of Carpe Diem broke her maiden at second asking on January 13 sprinting six furlongs before stretching out to seven furlongs in the Ruthless to face winners for the first time. She will stretch out again to one mile and 70 yards in The Main Line, the longest test she has faced in her career.
Summers said he will take it race-by-race this spring with Champagne Poetry.
“She’s lightly raced and we’ll kind of see what matriculates from here,” Summers said. “We’re nominated to the Oaks and we’ll go down that path as far as we can.”
Summers also said that graded stakes-placed stakes winner Wendell Fong, who had been under consideration for Saturday’s Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at the Big A, will instead make another start at the allowance level before contesting stakes again.
Aqueduct Racetrack Notes/NYRA Press Office
Photo: Champagne Poetry (#1) gets nipped by a nose at the wire by Shotgun Hottie in the Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 6, 2022. (Chelsea Durand)
