Razor sharp Starship Truffles seized the lead rounding the turn and drew off impressively in the stretch to post an 8-1 upset in the $350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. I) July 6 at Calder Casino & Race Course (VIDEO).
She was one of five entrants in the headline Summit of Speed event for trainer Marty Wolfson, who earned his fourth Princess Rooney victory. Starship Truffles, winning her first graded stakes, easily defeated Judy the Beauty, the 11-10 favorite in the field of 12 fillies and mares, by 3 3/4 lengths. The final time for the six furlongs was 1:10 2/5 on a fast track.
Chasing Tail Stables owns 4-year-old Starship Truffles, who was ridden to victory by Edgard Zayas. The daughter of Ghostzapper earned her third win from her past four starts and 14th victory overall in 24 races.
"I'm so excited," Zayas said after his his first grade I win and third victory on the Saturday Calder program. "I know it's the first one of a lot of them."
My Pal Chrisy was third with Holiday Soiree fourth.
Bred in Kentucky by Sanford and Irwin Golfarb, Starship Truffles is out of the stakes-winning Not For Love mare Bobbie Use. The bay filly sold for $22,000 at the Ocala Breeders Company in November 2011.
Coming off a 10-length win in an allowance/optional claiming race June 29, Starship Truffles raced fourth early while stalking three wide as 142-1 shot Costly opened up a 2 1/2-length lead while clipping off a blistering opening quarter mile of :21.29. Costly lasted into the turn before Starship Truffles swept up on the outside and took command leaving the quarter pole after a :44.66 half mile.
"I laid in third like planned," said Zayas."I was very confident in my horse; she is doing very, very good."
Starship Truffles drew away in the stretch as Judy the Beauty circled the field five wide from seventh at the quarter pole for jockey Joao Moreia to progress into second mid-stretch. But Judy the Beauty, second in both of her prior grade I attempts, could make no impact on the winner while finishing 2 1/2 lengths clear of My Pal Chrisy and Luca Panici.
Holiday Soiree was half a length back in fourth, followed by Sweet Cassiopeia, French Politics, Centrique, Givhans Ferry, Oh Carole, Spectacular Sky, Capitalism At Risk, and Costly.
Starship Truffles boosted her career earnings to $433,035 while returning $18.60, $7.20, and $5.40 to her backers. She carried 116 pounds, three fewer than Judy the Beauty, who returned $2.80 and $2.60. The exacta was worth $66.40. My Pal Chrisy, off at 24-1, paid $10.20 to show.
"She's a late closer and always makes a move at the three-eighths pole," said Wolfson. "Personally, I really did (think she would draw off). We ran her a week ago to make sure she was back to herself."
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