Serena's Song's Daughter Sophisticat Wins French Guineas Prep

With Sophiticat's win in Sunday's Prix de la Grotte (Fr-III) at Longchamp, the first two foals produced from 11-time grade I winner Serena's Song are now stakes winners.

Sophisticat's (by Storm Cat) half-sister Serena's Tune (by Mr. Prospector) won three listed stakes during her career before being retired from racing following her win in the $75,000 Victoria Lass last month at Fair Grounds. A $1 million yearling purchase, Serena's Tune is to be bred to Storm Cat.

Michael Tabor's Sophisticat was purchased for $3.4 million at the 2000 Keeneland July yearling sale and has now won two of nine career races. She's finished on the board in six of her seven career losses – five of them in stakes races – with the lone exception a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). The 3-year-old may try the Poule d'Essai des Poulains--French One Thousand Guineas (Fr-I) next, according to trainer Aidan O'Brien.

"She did it very sweetly," the conditioner said in Racing Post of Sunday's win. "(Jockey) Jamie (Spencer) was pleased with her and she could go back to France for their Guineas."

Sophisticat has three siblings in the wings, a 2-year-old colt by Deputy Minister, a yearling full brother, and a half-brother from the last crop of Unbridled.

Also on the card, American-bred Bowman was sent to the lead with just over a furlong to run, then held on for a neck-length win in the Prix de Fountainebleau (Fr-III). Sheikh Mohammed's 3-year-old son of Irish River completed the mile in 1:40.7 on the good going.

The Andre Fabre trainee was ridden by Olivier Peslier in the French Two Thousand Guineas prep. Medecis (by Machiavellian) finished second, a short neck ahead of Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier's Landseer (Danehill). Rashbag (Reprimand) was fourth of eight.

Bowman is out of two-time group I winner Cherokee Rose (by Dancing Brave). The win marks the second in three starts for the bay colt bred in Kentucky by Darley Stud.