As jockey Jose Oritz hit the wire with Suffused in last October's E.P. Taylor Stakes Presented by HPIBet (G1T), he actually celebrated for a moment thinking the Juddmonte Farms' homebred had prevailed in the photo-finish battle to the line.
While the daughter of Champs Elysees ended up on the short end of that particular test, there was no denying her class Jan. 28 as she and Ortiz rallied four-wide down the Gulfstream Park turf to best Arles by a length in the $200,000 La Prevoyante Handicap (G3T). Video: La Prevoyante H. (G3T)
The 1 1/2 miles La Prevoyante was part of the undercard of the inaugural running of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1).
In her first outing since getting nipped a nose by Al's Gal in the Oct. 16 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine, Suffused made amends in earning her second graded stakes score since joining trainer Bill Mott's barn last year after making her first eight career starts in England. Her determined surge wasn't without drama this time either, as a claim of foul was lodged against her by Joel Rosario, who was aboard Arles.
With the result allowed to stand, the 5-year-old mare added the La Prevoyante to her career highlight reel, which also includes a victory in the Sept. 3 Glens Falls Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course.
"One of the amusing things about the last race was Jose came back fist pumping thinking he had actually won the last time, and it was just on the line," said Juddmonte Farms manager Garrett O'Rourke. "Today was a nice redemption. Hopefully there is another big race like that for her this year."
Sent off as the 3-2 favorite in the 12-horse field, Suffused was able to get into the two-path after the first turn after breaking from the far outside while Gypsy Eyes carved out fractions of :24.87 and :48.88 with Try Your Luck tracking an outside path in second.
Try Your Luck had taken command coming off the final turn but Ortiz had Suffused full of run outside as those two got by Arles to their inside and kept driving to the wire en route to covering the distance in 2:26.04 over a course rated firm.
"The draw on the outside meant we had to rely on a very heady ride from Jose, and her road her very calmly," O'Rourke said. " He saved ground and I don't think there was any point where it looked like she wouldn't be able to show her class."
Suffused paid $5, $3, and $2.40 across the board. Try Your Luck held for third with Quiet Kitten fourth and Stay the Night fifth.
Out of the Daylami mare Scuffle, Suffused won the Belmont Coronation Invitational Stakes last June in her third stateside start. She improves her record to six wins from 15 career starts and earnings of $537,429.
"I think there's a race at the end of the meet ($200,000 grade 3 Orchid Stakes April 1) we might have a look at," Mott said. "She'll keep running. She just got good towards the end of last year. I guess it's just maturity."
