Bluebirds Over Maintains Perfect Record in G3 Grey
Renegade Rebel wins the G3 Mazarine (Michael Burns)
Woodbine Press Release
TORONTO— Renegade Rebel had just enough left in the tank to take top prize in the Grade 3 $150,900 Mazarine Stakes, Saturday at Woodbine.
The 1 1/16-mile main track event attracted a field of five 2-year-old fillies, including D.J. Stable LLC’s Renegade Rebel, a daughter of Nyquist bred by Shadwell Farm, LLC, and trained by Mark Casse.
Renegade Rebel broke alertly and was put on the front end just off the rail by Rafael Hernandez, while Honor D Lady and Collect Dattt followed in second and third, respectively. State of Mind was positioned fourth and Ryder Ryder Ryder, who broke in the air, sat last.
Ahead by 1 ½ lengths after an opening panel reached in :25.09, Renegade Rebel was two clear after a half :49.60, and then began to stretch her lead through three-quarters in 1:13.06, leaving her four rivals with plenty of work to do.
On top by three lengths at Robert Geller’s stretch call, Renegade Rebel, making her stakes debut, then saw her lead shrink considerably, as both Ryder Ryder Ryder and Honor D Lady came running late, but ultimately ran out of real estate.
At the wire, Renegade Rebel was a neck winner, while stablemate Ryder Ryder Ryder bested Honor D Lady by three-quarters of a length for the runner-up spot.
The final time was 1:44.80.
“First of all, I thought she was getting tired,” said Hernandez. “When the other ones were coming, she kept going. It looked like she was kind of waiting. After the wire, I could not pull her up. I had to go up to the outrider to get me pulled over.”
It was the second straight triumph for the Kentucky-bred grey, who broke her maiden last time out via a seven-length score in a 1 1/16-mile race over the Woodbine Tapeta on October 29.
“The maturity is starting to kick in better,” offered Hernandez. “She was more relaxed. You can tell today. The pace was more relaxed. Everything worked out perfect for us.”
A $700,000 purchase from OBS April, Renegade Rebel, now 2-1-1 from five starts, paid $4.30 for the win.
Bluebirds Over, under Edgard Zayas, made it two wins in as many starts after another strong showing, this time in the Grade 3 $159,300 Grey Stakes, for 2-year-olds, at Woodbine.
Sent off as the 5-2 co-second choice, Bluebirds Over and 14-1 One Bay Hemingway both broke alertly in the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta event, with the former taking the early lead as the field passed the wire for the first time. Mo Tourist tucked into third, Hal sat fourth and Forever Dixie was last of five.
After guiding the field through an opening quarter in :25.17, Bluebirds Over was quickly overtaken by One Bay Hemingway, who proceeded to open up on his rivals, holding a three-length advantage after a half timed in :48.81.
As the quintet approached the three-quarter mark in 1:12.37, Zayas gave the son of English Channel his cue, and the bay glided up effortlessly on the outside to confront One Bay Hemingway.
The duo matched strides throughout most of the drive to the wire, with Bluebirds Over eventually wearing down his stubborn foe late to record a 1 ½-length victory in 1:45.32. Mo Tourist nosed out Forever Dixie for third.
Bred and owned by Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson, the colt romped to an eight-length score over a mile and 70 yards on the Gulfstream synthetic in his debut on November 5.
Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the Kentucky-bred was far more polished in his second start after running rank in his career bow.
“He was way, way more relaxed,” said Zayas. “It helped, I think, that we didn’t take him away from the pony. The first time, we took him away from the pony and he ran off with me before the race too. He was green the first time. He broke out of there last time and he broke straight to go to the lead, and I was trying to take a hold of him to sit second. It took me a little bit to relax him. But today, he broke out of there sharp, and he relaxed from the get-go. He’s really impressive.”
Bluebirds Over paid $7.20 for the win.
