By Bloodhorse.com
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 18, 2019) — Lady Prancealot was scratched from the Oct. 12 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Lane’s End (G1T) at Keeneland to target a softer spot in the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (G3T), and the calculated move paid off Oct. 18 when the 3-year-old filly rallied past 13 rivals to win the 1 1/16-mile turf test.
With jockey Joe Bravo in the irons, the Irish-bred daughter of California shuttle stallion Sir Prancealot survived a bump at the start and raced far back early as 8-5 choice Blowout and John Velazquez showed the way with a one-length advantage through a quarter in :23.72 and a half in :48.26. Blowout still had the lead through three-quarters in 1:13.57, but Bravo swung his mount into the six path on the far turn and set her down for a rally down the lane.
Taking control through a 1:37.33 mile, Lady Prancealot drove past the leaders three wide in the final stages and won by three-quarters of a length. The final time was 1:43.25 on turf rated good.
“This filly really came over here nice,” Bravo said. “She was sharp in the paddock, looking good. She broke, breathed, relaxed—so comfortable. We turned for home (and) she knew what she had to do. I was just lucky enough to be the passenger today. She saw that horse in front, and she went after her. Johnny had a nice horse in front of us, but my filly was all over it.”
Trainer Richard Baltas said he was over the moon with Bravo’s ride.
“You’ve gotta have the trip when you have a closer,” Baltas said. “Joe did an awesome job. He saved ground, stayed to the outside, and got her clear. It was a very sweet victory. … These are the best horses in the country, so we’re lucky we got her home today.”
Peter Brant’s Blowout, a Chad Brown trainee, held for second by a nose over The Mackem Bullet in her first start since a 2 1/4-length score in the Sept. 14 Pebbles Stakes at Belmont Park.
“It was a perfect trip,” Velazquez said. “I was in front and was trying to save her as best I could to have something left down the lane. A nice horse beat her today. She put up a really good fight.”
Lady Prancealot came off a sixth in the Sept. 7 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes at Belmont for Jules Iavarone, Michael Iavarone, Jerry McClanahan, and Medallion Racing. She was third in the Aug. 17 Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club (G1T) and took her previous trip to the winner’s circle after her first graded score in the June 1 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.
Bred in Ireland by Tally-Ho Stud out of the Haatef mare Naqrah, Lady Prancealot improved her record to 4-4-3 from 16 starts, with earnings of $367,841. The daughter of Sir Prancealot was an $11,301 purchase by Eoghan T. O’Neill from Tally-Ho’s consignment to the 2017 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale and was selected for her current connections by bloodstock agent David Meah.