Regal Realm. (Courtney Snow/Past The Wire)
By Kentucky Downs publicity team
FRANKLIN, Ky. – Wearing saddle towel #1 was perfect for Regal Realm, who led every step of the way to win the Grade 3, $1 million Castle Hill Gaming Ladies Turf Saturday at Kentucky Downs.
Florent Geroux put the 4-year-old Augustin Stable homebred trained by Jonathan Thomas on the lead coming out of the gate and that turned out to be the winning move in the one-mile race. Regal Realm was in front by a comfortable couple of lengths in the early going. Querobin Dourada moved up to challenge on the outside as they approached the turn into the stretch but was unable to draw even.
“She broke super-fast and made the lead very easily,” Geroux said. “We just wanted to see how she broke. We thought she might be forward because of a lack of speed in the race. When she jumped very well, I just took control of the race. She did it very easily and she really liked the track. She had more and felt great.”
When Geroux asked her for more approaching the quarter pole, Regal Realm bounded away from the competition and went on to win by 1 ¼ lengths. Sparkle Blue, co-owned by George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Stable and breeder Catherine Parke, rallied on the outside in deep stretch to finish second, a neck in front of White Frost.
(NOTE: Because of a timing snafu, the winning time has not been determined. Equibase is working on posting a time off of video.)
The Ladies Turf was Regal Realm’s fourth win in five starts this season. She has five victories in 12 starts in her career. Sent off at 6-1, she paid $14.16.
“She’s been training great. We were looking forward to getting her here,” Thomas said. “I thought Flo did a great job of getting her to the lead comfortably. She looked super with her body language. Took to the track very well. We’re just thrilled. Really, really happy for Mr. Strawbridge. Great owner-breeder, fantastic guy to work with. So, this was really special to do for him.”
The Ladies Turf was the first graded-stakes win for Regal Realm, a daughter of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom out of the Empire Maker mare Sky Willow.
“She’s a beautiful filly herself, great family, adding some graded-stakes black type,” Thomas said. “And the million dollars doesn’t hurt at all. We’re just thrilled.”
Trainer Graham Motion’s longtime assistant Alice Clapham saddled Sparkle Blue and was pleased with her performance.
“She ran great,” Clapham said. “We weren’t sure about backing her up to the mile, but she ran really well. Just maybe ran out of ground.”
