Neecie Marie draws away to win the Ladies Marathon (Courtney Snow/Past The Wire)
By Jennie Rees – Kentucky Downs
FRANKLIN, Ky.— Being based in Philadelphia, trainer Butch Reid and owner Michael Milam race a lot of Pennsylvania-breds and therefore tend to race in that state and the East Coast. But they hope to be back to Kentucky Downs after their 4-year-old mare Neecie Marie captured Saturday’s $2 million Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon by 2 3/4 lengths over 2023 winner Vergara.
It was the owner’s and trainer’s first foray to Kentucky Downs.
“It’s just unbelievable. I’m glad we chose this race,” Milam said. “We were going to run last week in (New York’s) Flower Bowl, and Butch called in the middle of the week and said, ‘I think we might want to go to Kentucky Downs.’ She wants to run all day long, too.
“I love Kentucky Downs. I feel like I’m at a fair, a giant 4-H fair. It’s unbelievable. I love it. I hope to come back.”
Ditto Reid: “I just love it. The people are unbelievable, so friendly. For a new experience for us, it couldn’t be better.”
As a Pennsylvania-bred, Neecie Marie competed for the $1 million base purse — still the richest race for which she’s ever competed.
With Joel Rosario aboard, Neecie Marie closed from last, fanning wide into the stretch, taking the lead with an eighth-mile to go and drew off to a 2 3/4-length victory over Vergara.
“She was getting into that huge stride, and she just loved the turf today,” Rosario said. “I rode her to keep her contention, not getting too far back. After that, she just did all the work. I got to the lead probably sooner than I thought I was going to be, but it was good for her. She was having fun, and she kept going.”
#7 Neecie Marie takes the G2 Ladies Marathon at Kentucky Downs at 4/1 under @jrosariojockey for trainer Butch Reid!
— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) September 7, 2024
#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/mwYJEhi8ie
Neecie Marie covered 1 5/16 miles over firm turf in 2:07.16. She paid $10.02 to win as the third choice in the field of nine fillies and mares.
“I don’t know if you ever feel that (you’re the horse to beat),” Reid said. “But I felt pretty confident. Let’s say I knew the distance isn’t going to be a challenge, which is the whole key to the race. Actually, Frankie Dettori rode her last time down at Colonial, and he said, ‘you can put her in wherever you want, and she’ll go as far as you want.’
“A great filly. A great head on her shoulders is the best thing about her. Nothing bothers her.”
Vergara, seeking to join Snapper Sinclair as the only horses to win three stakes at Kentucky Downs, pressed the moderate pace set by Angel Nadeshiko. As the leader faded, Vergara was faced with the oncoming Neecie Marie.
“Once we passed the quarter pole, I asked my filly and she gave me a good response,” said Tyler Gaffalione, riding the Graham Motion-trained Vergara for the first time. “But I could hear that one coming from the outside, and she just wasn’t picking it up enough to hold her off. She is so honest. It was a thrill to get the opportunity to ride her. I’ve been a fan for years.”
It was another length back to the late-running three Priests, a Japanese bred who shipped in from England. The Irish 3-year-old Greenfinch came in fourth, edging 2-1 favorite Chop Chop. Forever After All, Angel Nadeshiko, Viva La Red and Loved Reiko rounded out the field.
Neecie Marie now is 6-3-1 in 14 starts, earning $1,160,150 with the $592,200 payday. Purchased for $25,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale, her first victory came in her second start, in a $25,000 maiden-claiming race sprinting on dirt. Stretched out on turf, she soon became a Pennsylvania-bred stakes-winner, graded-stakes place, a graded-stakes winner and Grade 1-place. In her prior start, she was third in Colonial Downs’ Beverly D. (G2).
“It’s very surrealistic, and it’s hard for me to believe that I have horses of that caliber,” said Milam, who started out racing claiming horses. “She’s always been very great, though. Once she stepped foot on the grass, that was the end of it. I don’t think she’d have run on the dirt that well.”
