A 5-year-old mare by Bianconi, Redaspen earned her first career graded stakes victory, completing the 1 ½ miles in 2:26.63. French-bred Green Girl was second, while betting favorite Dalvina rallied to get third, just ahead of My Rachel.
Redaspen was near the back of the field of 11 for most of the way, while pacesetters Oh Deanne O, My Rachel, Green Girl and Jive led the way. DJR Thoroughbreds Oh Deanne O posted fractions of :24.52, :49.15, 1:13.83, and 138.32 for a mile.
All the while, Redaspen was saving ground under Castro, content to settle in ninth after 1 1/4 miles. But when the field rounded the final turn the rail parted and Redaspen kicked into another gear while hugging the hedge. She was second to My Rachel at the top of the stretch and drew even by the sixteenth-pole, before gradually pulling away from both My Rachel and Green Girl in the final strides.
“The trainer told me that this filly has a strong late kick, so I stayed near the back to mid-pack most of the race,” said Castro, who rode for the first time. “When I started to let her run she really wanted to take off. We were down on the hedge and it was tight but we never got stopped or bothered in there.”
Bred in Pennsylvania, Redaspen was sent off at odds of more than 8-1 and paid $18.60 to win. The exacta (6-3) was worth $97.60, while the trifecta (6-3-5) returned $348.
Out of the Strike the Gold mare Goldie Pops, Redaspen came into the La Prevoyante with five consecutive efforts in the money. She had won both the May 27 Politely Stakes at Monmouth Park and the July 28 Mrs. Penny Stakes at Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack. Most recently, the Rebecca Baker-trained mare was third in the Dec. 1 My Charmer Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Calder.
“The owners were considering retiring her, but this race was coming up and a personal friend of ours recommended sending her to us and taking a shot,” Baker said. “We ran her going shorter (in the 1 1/8 mile My Charmer) and she ran well. She never had been this distance before, but Eddie rode her perfect and she got a great trip. Now, I guess we’ll have to talk about her future.”
Dalvina, sent off at even-money and making her second start on American soil, could not repeat her winning performance in the Nov. 11 Long Island Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Aqueduct, as the 3-year-old filly was in contention for much of the race but was not good enough.
(Chart, Equibase)
