When Nancy Mazzoni’s homebred filly She Be Wild ran along the rail in dramatic fashion to capture the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) over Beautician and favored Blind Luck, she proved herself worthy of receiving the 2009 Eclipse Award for 2-year-old female.
It’s hard to believe the ex-claimer, who improved her record to four wins in five starts with the victory, and boosted her earnings to $1,311,040, was bought back for $19,000 at the 2009 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s April sale. But it seemed like fate that Mazzoni, who had been trying to get out of the business, wound up racing the future superstar.
| 2009 Eclipse Awards | |||
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In her debut, She Be Wild romped to a 71⁄4-length triumph in a maiden claiming race and then stepped it up for a victory in her black-type debut, the Top Flight Stakes at Arlington Park. After duplicating that effort in the Arlington-Washington Lassie (gr. III), she finished a close second in her only career loss, the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I) in October at Keeneland.
She Be Wild, a daughter of leading freshman sire Offlee Wild, stalked the early pace in the Juvenile Fillies, then came charging down the stretch and got through on the inside, prevailing by three-quarters of a length.
She was bred in Kentucky by Mazzoni and her husband, Mike, and raised at their Lexington farm. “
(She Be Wild) is not a real big filly, but she had a lot of spunk to her,” said trainer Wayne Catalano. “Once we got to training her, she showed a lot of ability. She’s got a tremendous stride for a small horse, and that’s what caught my eye.”
Catalano said the next goal for She Be Wild is the Ashland (gr. I) at Keeneland and the April 30 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs. The trainer also said he would be open to running She be Wild on turf.
First-place vote totals: She Be Wild, 171; Blind Luck, 41; Hot Dixie Chick, 17; Awesome Maria, 1; Biofuel, 1; Tapitsfly, 1.