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St George Farm's homebred Closing Range lulled her better-fancied rivals
Havant and Ciao Bella to sleep early in Friday's Grade 3, $100,000
La
Prevoyante Handicap, and by the time the favorites woke up to the danger,
the 19-1 longshot had already absconded with Calder's closing day co-feature.
Under a masterful front-running ride by Elvis Trujillo, the Phil Oliver
sophomore had no difficulty in her first attempt at the 1 1/2-mile distance. Closing Range had engineered a similar theft two starts back in the August 26 Twin Lights over 1 1/8 miles at Monmouth, where she just lasted in a photo-finish. The daughter of After Market was coming off her worst career effort, a non-threatening eighth in a division of the Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland October 19. That was thoroughly uncharacteristic for the lightly-raced filly, who had previously won three of four starts and placed second in the other. On Friday, Closing Range rebounded in style by taking advantage of a soft pace scenario. Havant, the 4-5 favorite, broke slowly but rushed up to track Closing Range on the inside. Stalking closely on the outside was 3-2 second choice Ciao Bella. The market leaders were content to let Closing Range serve as their pacemaker through leisurely fractions of :24 2/5, :49 3/5, 1:15 and 1:39 3/5 on the firm turf. |
Although Ciao Bella and Havant were gearing up to challenge turning into the stretch, it was too late. Closing Range had already ratcheted up the tempo to reach the 1 1/4-mile split in 2:03 3/5, and now she kept up her momentum to kick clear of her pursuers. With a final quarter shading :23 4/5, Closing Range widened her advantage to 2 3/4 lengths and stopped the teletimer in 2:27 2/5.
Ciao Bella crossed the wire 1 1/4 lengths to the good of Havant, who barely salvaged third by a head from the 63-1 longshot Peekablue Sue. Centring and Clarinet were never in the hunt, while Thislilsoulofmine and the main-track-only My Pal Chrisy were withdrawn.
Closing Range fueled payouts of $41.80, $7.80 and $2.60, and her first graded victory improved her line to 6-4-1-0, $149,898. Unraced at two, the dark bay conquered an off-the-turf maiden at Indiana Downs in her May 29 debut. Closing Range finished second in an entry-level turf allowance at Churchill Downs on June 30 before winning her next two, a July 27 allowance on the Ellis Park turf and the Twin Lights.
The Kentucky-bred was offered as a Keeneland September yearling, but RNA'd for $49,000. Out of the Group 1-placed Caerleon mare Subeen, Closing Range is a half-sister to Grade 3 queen Stupendous Miss, the dam of current Group 2 Zabeel Mile winner Do It All and English stakes-placed Tales of Grimm.
Closing Range hails from the family of Grade 1 turf star Storm Trooper; multiple Group 3 victress Marillette; current sophomore Black Arrow, a multiple stakes hero and Group 3-placed performer in Germany; Canadian Hall of Famer Northernette; and champion and influential sire Storm Bird.
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