Shred the Gnar is game down the stretch to take the La Troienne, Courtney Snow/Past The Wire
Churchill Downs Press
LOUISVILLE, KY – Flying Dutchmen’s Shred the Gnar held off a bid from favored Fully Subscribed by a length to win the 41st running of the $1 million Fasig-Tipton La Troienne (GI) for fillies and mares Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Brian Lynch and ridden by Luis Saez, Shred the Gnar completed the mile and a sixteenth on a fast main track in 1:42.24.
Miss Justify led the field of 10 through fractions of :24.01 and :48.54 with Shred the Gnar just off her flank and Fully Subscribed tracking in third to the outside of the two leaders.
The top three were unchanged at the top of the stretch but Shred the Gnar hit the front at the three-sixteenths but was confronted at the eighth pole by Fully Subscribed who never could push on past.
Now three for three at Churchill Downs and a two-time graded stakes winner, Shred the Gnar is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Into Mischief out of the Bernardini mare Aspen Light.
Shred the Gnar returned $8.42, $5.12 and $3.38. Fully Subscribed, ridden by Flavien Prat, returned $3.92 and $2.74 and finished 1 ½ lengths in front of Bless the Broken who paid $2.98 to show under Irad Ortiz Jr.
It was 3 ¼ lengths back to Miss Justify with Chasten, Drexel Hill, Take Charge Omaha, Nerazurri, Dry Powder and Scalable following in order.
LA TROIENNE QUOTES
Luis Saez (Jockey, Shred the Gnar, winner): “She broke pretty well today and got herself in a good position. She has been training to be behind horses. She was able to respond very well today in that situation. I’m so proud of the way she ran today.”
Brian Lynch (Trainer, Shred the Gnar, winner): “It’s a really good way to celebrate a birthday with a Grade I. She didn’t handle things well at Gulfstream Park but once we got her back here to Churchill she returned to the filly we knew she always was. She really touted herself coming into this race that she’d run a big race.”
Flavien Prat (Jockey, Fully Subscribed, second): “From the post I had, I thought I had a decent trip. From the five-sixteenths pole all the way to the wire, I had a good run out of her. She just could not go by the winner.”
Irad Ortiz (Jockey, Bless the Broken, third): “I had a nice trip. Because I had the inside post, I had to stay on the inside longer than I wanted to. It worked out good and I’m happy with her effort.”
Tyler Gaffalione (Jockey, Miss Justify, fourth): “She ran well, especially after coming off a layoff. She had every excuse to pack it in at the three-eigh
