Kentucky Belle Finds Her Grand Stage and Delivers a Shocker in the Saratoga Oaks

The daughter of Justify broke her stakes maiden in style with an impeccable late charge, defeating favorite Faithful Departed and handing Brad Cox another major success in the Saratoga summer meet

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York.— She had displayed ability from the very start of her career, but various circumstances delayed her debut at the highest level. The wait, however, proved well worth it for Kentucky Belle, who on Friday made her stakes debut in the finest possible fashion by capturing the Saratoga Oaks (G2T), contested over 1,900 meters on the turf course at Saratoga Race Course.

The WinStar Farm homebred, trained by Brad Cox, unleashed a powerful late charge in the closing stages to edge out favorite Faithful Departed (Yoshida) by a head, securing her maiden stakes victory and confirming the high regard in which her trainer has always held her.

"We lost some time with her, but it was worth the wait," Cox summarized shortly after the victory.

He added: "She ran a huge race. Coming into the stretch, I thought we were at least going to pick up a stakes placing, but I knew she was going to keep coming because that's just who she is."

Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Kentucky Belle traveled comfortably in the rear of the field for much of the running, while Faithful Departed seized the lead turning into the stretch and looked poised to deliver trainer Grant Forster his first Saratoga win.

However, the daughter of Justify found a explosive change of gear over the final 200 meters. Ortiz launched her down the center of the course and received an immediate response. She shaved off ground with powerful strides to draw even with the leader right on the wire, prevailing by a head and returning $23.20 for every two-dollar wager.

"She caught her because she was really flying late," noted the jockey, who had settled her in seventh position for most of the trip.

Kentucky Belle had already hinted that staying trips were her specialty. After missing more than three months due to a minor setback, she returned this season with a runner-up finish at Gulfstream Park before gutsily landing an allowance over the same 1,900-meter distance at Keeneland.

"I always felt this was her thing," Cox explained. "She had already won at this trip, and I'm really proud of her."

Faithful Departed, coming off a second-place effort in the Belmont Oaks (G1T), had to settle for the runner-up spot once again despite offering a high-class performance, while Fitz Right (Charlatan), the best of three runners representing Chad Brown, completed the trifecta.

Bred by WinStar Farm, Kentucky Belle is a daughter of Justify out of Dancing Fancy (Tiznow), becoming the first stakes winner produced by her dam. Following this significant step up in class, her immediate future appears mapped out. Cox indicated that the next objective will be the Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T), scheduled for September 9 at Kentucky Downs, where she will look to build on a campaign that is only beginning to showcase its full potential.

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