By Erin Shea
With a strong drive in the stretch, Dacita managed to edge out a tough field of 10 fillies and mares to win the $600,000 Beverly D. Stakes (G1T). Dona Bruja and Grand Jete dead-heated for second.
In the 1 3/16-mile test at Arlington International Racecourse, Dacita and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. settled near the back, while Zipessa led the field through the early stages. With a wide closing effort into the stretch, Dacita was able to run by fellow closers Dona Bruja and Grand Jete to score by a half-length.
Sheep Pond Partners and Bradley Thoroughbreds’ 6-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy picked up her second top-level win in the U.S. Aug. 12. The victory was trainer Chad Brown’s fourth Beverly D. score and his third consecutive following Watsdachances in 2015 and Sea Calisi last year.
“We were waiting for waiting for her to be right and praying for some firm ground and we got it today and got super lucky,” said Sheep Pond Partners’ Sol Kumin. “(She) is something special. The way she finished, we knew she had it in her. Thanks to Mr. Brown. We’ll have to regroup and talk to Chad with the Breeders’ Cup being the goal.”
The Beverly D. is a Breeders’ Cup Challenege “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
In Saturday’s outing, Zipessa took the field through the first three-quarters of a mile, clocking fractions of :23.84, :49.34, and 1:14.81. Going into the turn for home, jockey Declan Cannon asked 2-1 favorite Dona Bruja to make her move. The Argentinian-bred mare, who won her first two races in the U.S., went three wide and had a brief advantage at the top of the stretch.
Dacita, who traveled four wide around the turn, came rallying and was able to just get up to pass Dona Bruja and a closing Grand Jete. Dacita narrowly hit the wire in front, while Dona Bruja and Grand Jete, another Brown trainee, dead heated for second.
“I got a perfect trip,” Ortiz said of the winning ride. “I got the one hole, broke out of there, and got close. I didn’t want to be too far. I saved all the ground and she was there for me.”
Rainha Da Bateria, Brown’s third entrant, was fourth. The final time was 1:55.49 over the firm turf.
Kitten’s Roar, Sarandia, Hawksmoor, Rain Goddess, Zipessa, and Prado’s Sweet Ride completed the order of finish.
Off at 6-1, the winner returned $15.80, $5.20, and $4.40 across the board.
Bred by Haras Paso Nevado in Chile, Dacita was a multiple graded stakes winner in her home country, winning three group-1 events, before coming to the U.S. in 2015.
Since then she’s run in 10 graded stakes in North America, and has only finished out of the top two three times. Last year, she took the New York Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park and then nosed out Recepta in the grade 1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Dacita finished second by a head to Hawksmoor in the Beaugay Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park in her season debut this year and entered the Beverly D. off a sixth-place finish in the June 9 New York Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2T). She now boasts a record of 10-4-1 from 19 starts and earnings of $1,398,369.
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