Goodwood Breeders' Cup H. (gr. II)
(gr. II , 9f ,)
PLEASANTLY PERFECT
(B h,
116
lb) $300,000
Pleasant Colony —Regal State , by
Affirmed
B—Clovelly Farms,
KY.;
O—Diamond A Racing Corporation;
T—Richard E. Mandella
Fleetstreet Dancer
(DK B/ g,
113
lb) $100,000
Smart Strike —Street Ballet , by
Nijinsky II
B—White Fox Farm,
KY.;
O—Leatherman, Lee and Ty;
T—Doug F. O'Neill
Star Cross (ARG)
(CH h,
110
lb) $48,000
Southern Halo —Other Star , by
Logical
B—La Quebrada,
ARG.;
O—E. A. Ranches;
T—Darrell Vienna
Margins: ½, 1¼, 3. Others: Joey Franco 117($24,000) , Taste of Paradise 114($10,000) , Reba's Gold 115 , Grey Memo 116 , Toccet 113 . Winning Jockey, Alex O. Solis.
Going into the Oct. 4 Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita with Pleasantly Perfect, trainer Richard Mandella said, “We’ve got to do well in the Goodwood or we’re not going to bother with the other. We’re not going in fooling around. We’re trying to be serious, and I think he’ll run good.”
Pleasantly Perfect ran well enough to win the Goodwood as the 7-5 favorite. When asked after the race if the son of Pleasant Colony would run in the “other”—the Oct. 25 Breeders’ Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I) at Santa Anita—the Hall of Fame trainer replied, “Yeah, you bet. That’s what I was looking for.”
Pleasantly Perfect, who won the 2002 Goodwood, has experienced a tough time the last 12 months. He was prevented from running in last year’s Classic at Arlington Park after post race tests from the Goodwood revealed bleeding. He started 2003 with a third-place finish in the San Antonio Handicap (gr. II) and a fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), but hasn’t run since because of minor setbacks.
Gerald Ford, a Dallas resident who races Pleasantly Perfect in the name of Diamond A Racing Corp., bought the horse for $725,000 at the 1999 Keeneland September yearling sale. Pleasantly Perfect was consigned by his breeder, Robin Scully’s Clovelly Farms. Pleasantly Perfectly earned $300,000 in the Goodwood to increase his earnings to $869,880.
Ford, who owns Diamond A Farms near Versailles, Ky., campaigned grade I winners Dixie Union and Stop Traffic.
Deceased Pleasant Colony, sire of Pleasantly Perfect, is represented by 73 stakes winners, including additional 2003 added-money winner Denon (gr. IT). Pleasant Colony died last December at George Grayson’s Blue Ridge Farm near Upperville, Va.—D.S.