Kelsey Danner trainee takes star turn with front-running win. (Chelsea Durand)
Earns a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
By Brian Bohl
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – NBS Stable’s Ground Support took the lead and capitalized on a good trip in leading at every point of call, while never seriously challenged in the stretch to post a two-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo at Belmont at the Big A.
The 46th running of the Miss Grillo saw Ground Support earn a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on October 31 at Del Mar.
Ground Support again relished the role of spoiler. After winning her debut at 100-1 odds on August 30 at Kentucky Downs, the Army Mule filly earned a little more respect in her stakes debut but still went off at 12-1. After setting fractions of 23.17 seconds for the quarter-mile on the firm inner turf, she held steady and posted splits of 48.65 and 1:13.56. Deep Learning, the 2-1 favorite, made a late bid in the stretch but Ground Support completed the 1 1/16-mile test for juvenile fillies in 1:43.32.
Breaking from post 3, jockey Adam Beschizza’s steady ride saw Ground Support in control the whole way, and his right-handed encouragement kept her on task in the final furlong to prevent any late comeback bids from the field.
The Florida-bred Ground Support was followed by Deep Learning, who finished a half-length ahead of Quiet Street. Fille d’Oro finished fourth, with Believe in Magic, Cara’s Dreamchaser, Dyna, Day to Day, Boomington and Miss Picky completing the order of finish. El Barrio was pulled up after a half-mile and was provided a ride back to the barn area in the equine ambulance for further evaluation. Miss Call and Rose Room scratched, as did main-track only entrant Caradise.
The victory was the third career graded stakes win – and first since 2023 – for trainer Kelsey Danner.
“She ran great. I kind of didn’t expect her quite on the lead, but no one really went, so Adam kind of had to go – she was keen early,” Danner said. “She looked like she did it fairly easily. I thought she was a two-turn horse the whole time. Obviously at Kentucky Downs, it’s a one-turn mile, but I didn’t think distance was an issue. She was breezing really nice, and I did not think she was a five and a half [furlong] type horse, so I was waiting to go longer. Kentucky Downs is something the owner and I target, and she was ready to run probably five weeks before Kentucky Downs, but I decided to wait for that.”
Beschizza won his first graded stakes at a NYRA track with the effort and will now potentially have a chance to lead Ground Support against the top contenders in the division later this month.
“All the signals were there for her to run a big race, and she did,” Beschizza said. “We liked the way she accelerated up the hill [at Kentucky Downs] and finished off that race very strong. Kelsey never really pressures a jockey to win first out, and this horse did, and did it the right way. She has a lot of ability, she’s a little frisky and spicy but I guess that is what makes her.”
Ground Support returned $26.86 on a $2 win bet. She improved her career earnings to $164,000.
“I told Adam yesterday when he was breezing horses for me at Churchill, ‘don’t forget, I really want to go to Del Mar,’” Danner said, with a laugh. “It will be fun and I think she should handle everything well. She’s been really straightforward. I don’t know why they didn’t like her at Kentucky Downs. She does everything right, she breezes nice, and is a big, pretty filly with a nice pedigree.”
Deep Learning, who finished fifth in the Grade 1 Natalma on September 13, earned black type for the first time in her third career start. The $325,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training is out of the Union Rags mare Dovima, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Secret Gypsy and trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown.
“I had a good trip. She broke pretty good today,” said Deep Learning rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. “She put me in a good spot. I thought she was going to fire home turning for home, but she was second best.”
Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card highlighted by the Grade 3, $175,000 Waya for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 3/8 miles on the inner turf in Race 6. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
