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Nagani Wins Stretch Battle, Takes Louisville Oaks
Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 12 years 1 week agoA fiery pace taking place up front set the race up for closers and a pair of fillies both owned by Ara Davies kicked it hard in the stretch.
But only one of them could cross the finish line first and Nagini turned back Crystal Quest to win the $1 million Grade I Louisville Oaks by a half length with a nice time for the 1 1/8 mile distance of 1:49.40. Some racing fans considered that an upset of sorts but not the fiery power pack of a grey filly who stamped the race as her own at its very end. She had stared down the other filly in the post parade, before they began their warm-ups separately.
Davies bred this runner who’s by her stallion Caldron and out of the stakes winning mare Throne mare Valiancy. She came into this race having won three out of her four lifetime starts including the Bay Shore Stakes before she finished second in the Albuquerque Park Oaks behind Wait. Still, she got a bit lost in the shuffle in a race that included Steward’s Cup Juvenile Fillies Gamble in the Dark and Flightful who finished second in that race. Even her own stable buddy Crystal Quest had received more attention mostly due to her own sterling pedigree.
That perky and stylish chestnut filly is by Hall of Famer Sun Raider who’s still hanging on at stud and is out of newly adorned Hall of Famer Such Great Heights. That of course makes her a full sister to North American Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner Maelstrom. So far the $30 million purchase of Davies had won three out of five career starts including the Summer Sales Graduate Debutante. This year, she’d finished second in the Las Californias Stakes and people weren’t surprised when Thomas Riddle who regularly rode both horses opted to ride her in the Oaks.
That left Harry Pollard to pick up the mount on Nagani and he planned to make the most of the opportunity. He received a lift in spirits when an elegantly dressed woman strode up to him and wished him luck, leaving behind a lacy handkerchief behind.
But it was far from a two horse race, as a field of 12 fillies lined up to contest this race with some of them standing out as main contenders.
The aforementioned Gamble in the Dark stood prominently among them and she came into this record with an undefeated record in four starts. Bred and owned by John Cutshall, she’s by Big Gamble who’s known to produce racers who struggle to win beyond the shortest routes. But her dam’s Loki Awake who’s by Hall of Famer Awake As I Am who won the Triple Crown. Not long after breeding her to this stud, Cutshall pensioned his mare and she never had another foal. But this one was looking to claim the victory in his race with the biggest question mark being if she could navigate the distance all the way to the winner’s circle.
Flightful is a chestnut filly by North American Champion Two Year Old Colt Redwood and out of Thorn Birds which makes her a half sister to Father Ralph. Carolyn Eaton owns this horse and she won her first two races before finishing second in a trio of stakes. But she broke loose next time out and won the New Orleans Oaks in preparation for this race even though she’s nominated to the Triple Crown.
Gerry Hardie paid $6.1 million for No Alleluia who had won three out of her four starts including the Sunshine Oaks. She’s by Steward’s Cup Classic winner Stay Awake and out of Chesapeake Bay mare and Islands Champion Older Mare For Keeps which makes her a half sister to The Awakening.
March to Glory is a grey filly by Something Better and out of Wise to the Future which makes her a half sister to super stud Just Victory and the great broodmare Soldiergirlsbeauty. Ramey Furney paid over $4.5 million and she closed out last year with a win in the Gold Star Stakes. This year, she started by finishing second in the Rivalry Stakes and hoped to build on that with a successful foray in the Oaks.
The famed Broodmare of the Year Baby had a daughter in the field named Wait who’s by Long Island Classic winner Literature and she’s a half sister to East, West and the newer sire Midwest. Wait who’s bred and owned by Karie McBrian broke her maiden in her third start and then won the Albuquerque Stakes.
The field went into the starting gate and when it sprung open, No Alleluia took the immediate lead by a half length over Gamble in the Dark who was a neck in front of Chances. The two Davies entries were more than happy enough to stay near the back of the pack in 10th and 12th place. As the horses raced into the backstretch, No Alleluia had a half length over Gamble in the Dark who led Chances by another half length. Chances held a 2 ½ length advantage over Lambs Become Lions. Crystal Quest and Nagani were still back in 10th and 12th place as the horses left the backstretch to head into the far turn.
There No Alleluia tried to assert herself by increasing her lead to 1 ¾ lengths over Gamble in the Dark who had a half length over Chances. As the horses began to sort themselves out further both Crystal Quest and Nagini remained at the rear of the pack as they turned for home.
Then all of a sudden, the fillies took off like twin dervishes, coiffed manes coming unraveled and hooves skimming over the surface of the track as they charged onward. As the speed began to fold up front, the twin fillies drove onto the finish line where their owner Davies awaited them. Neck and neck they moved in near tandem swallowing up the rest of the horses as their jockeys steered them through the pack towards the finish line. Ears began to pin back and legs churned like pistons as the two fillies realized that only one of them could get to the wire first and claim the victory. It was too difficult to call for a moment but at the end, Nagani reached the wire first with Crystal Quest coming in second beating a charging Flightful by 1 ½ lengths.
After the two finishers warmed down, they trotted off to Davies who had achieved the feat of having both of her fillies grab the top two positions in the Oaks. In recent years, many of the old timers in her barn had passed away including Atlas, Banner, Conduit and Sports Jersey. Riddle slapped Pollard on the back and they headed off to celebrate in a pub.
The two fillies chilled out at Louisville Downs in their stalls awaiting news about where they will race next. It remains to be seen whether they’ll face off against each other again but they proved such a thrill to racing fans that many hope to see them together again.