In Italy Almost winning the $750,000 First Lady’s Shares introduced by UK Heathcare (G1T) gave her plenty of connections to celebrate October 8 at Keeneland.
First, Peter Brant’s 4-year-old daughter Dubai earned her second straight 1st grade deposit, after making it to the First Lady with a 1/2 length win in the Diana Stakes (G1T) on July 16 at Racecourse Saratoga.
Second, the win gave coach Chad Brown his fifth straight win in this race and his sixth since 2014.
And finally, In Italian held the top spot in an accurate First Lady movie for Brant and Brown, who also made it to 3/5 favorites. King of Glory a 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom .
In Italian, quickly command the race as the field passes the Keeneland stand for the first time in the one-mile test. She took an easy, unchallenged lead at the hands of Joel Rosario with openings of: 23.37, :47 and 1:10.45. Regal Glory under Jose Ortiz took the lead through the final turn, plunging into the middle of the track at the beginning of the stretch and in a solid position. Regal Glory bravely ran to close the gap but was short in the line by In Italian. The final time is 1:33.22.
Rosario said: “She was up to speed and comfortable on the first bend. I was just there as a passenger.”
Mike Stidham trained Princess Grace rallied for third, stopping Brown from having a trio in the six-horse field. Brown’s third participant, Klaravich Stables’ Technical analysis fourth run.
Brown said he’s a bit concerned that In Italian hasn’t had a race since Diana’s time.
“Mr Brant and I met, and I wanted to put her in the middle, but he wanted a fresh horse for the Breeders’ Cup, and that decision proved to be the right one,” Brown said. “She made it through today’s layoffs and has the good preparation she needs to move on.”
Of the First Lady’s fifth win in a row, Brown said: “It means I’ve got a lot of good horses sent to me by good owners and wonderful people I’m working with. That’s why.”
Ortiz said Regal Glory ran a great race but was only beaten by a better horse.
“Regal is a little older, but the other girl is very stiff.
Stidham said he would not consider the Breeders’ Cup championship for her next warm-up.
“Probably not because there’s not a good race for one-mile fillings,” he said. “We’re going to have to go up against the boys. We probably won’t; we’ll probably refresh her and have her ready for the Matriarch Stakes at the end of the year.”
Brant purchased In Italian as a Desire at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 1), where agent Mike Ryan picked her up and signed the ticket for $609,434. The shark was bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds from the winner of the Redoute’s Choice group Florentina . In Italian they are half-sisters to 2nd place winner Villa Carlotta (Street Cry). Florentina has a 2-year-old Kingman’s child named Fiorenza (AUS) who hasn’t started yet. The mare has no ponies as of 2020.
Video: First Lady S. presented by UK HealthCare (G1T)
