The Secretariat Stakes went to Supercharger, a grandson of Argentine champion Candy Ride
- Turf Diario
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
At Colonial Downs, the Cherie DeVaux trainee prevailed by half a length over Infiltrate to earn the biggest win of his career; South African star Gimme a Nother captured the Beverly D. (G2)
NEW KENT, Virginia (Special for Turf Diario).— Saturday's stakes program at Colonial Downs delivered two outstanding performances on the turf, as Supercharger and Gimme a Nother confirmed they are in peak form, establishing themselves as key horses to watch heading into the high-profile fixtures at the end of the U.S. season.
In the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes (G2-1,700 m, turf), Supercharger, a grandson of Argentine champion Candy Ride, showcased a devastating late turn of foot once again to capture the first graded victory of his career and string together his third consecutive win.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux for C R K Stable, the son of Constitution did not have a smooth trip. He broke a few strides off the pace, prompting Manny Franco to settle him at the back of the pack while Conducted (Mendelssohn) set the fractions of 23s40/100, 47s68/100, and 1m11s06/100.
When heavy favorite Alpyland (Vekoma) made his move around the far turn and looked poised for victory, Supercharger began rallying wide through the middle of the course. Entering the stretch, he uncovered a remarkable turn of foot and, charging alongside Infiltrate, ultimately took command with authority to win by half a length. Infiltrate (Oscar Performance) held second, with Alpyland finishing third, just a neck further back.
The winner stopped the clock in 1m41s24/100 for the 1,700 meters on firm turf, confirming all the potential he had hinted at in his previous two starts.
One race later came the Beverly D. Stakes (G2-1,900 m, turf), also featuring a $500,000 purse, where the seasoned Gimme a Nother demonstrated once more that her transition to North American racing has been virtually seamless.
Representing Newstead Stables and trained by Graham Motion, the mare unclasped her trademark stretch run to secure a tight but well-deserved victory, her third straight graded win since arriving in the United States.
As Achieve (Justify) set an uncontested pace through splits of 24s77/100, 49s34/100, 1m13s41/100, and 1m37s03/100, John Velazquez kept the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight perfectly positioned in the second group, waiting for the right moment to launch his bid.
Upon entering the lane, the veteran jockey angled his mount outward and commenced a sustained rally that paid off in the final strides. Gimme a Nother caught the courageous Achieve right on the wire to prevail by a neck, with Somethinabouther (Mendelssohn) completing the trifecta another neck back.
With this triumph, the six-year-old mare raised her tally to three graded wins in the United States, adding to her 5 group victories previously earned in South Africa, while boosting her earnings to nearly $811,400.
"She is an extraordinary mare and one of the classic performers we have in the barn. We hope to take her back to the Breeders' Cup," commented Motion post-race.
The winner covered the 1,900 meters in 1m54s28/100, reaffirming that she will be a major player in the turf female division throughout the American fall.
With Supercharger cementing his position among the top three-year-old grass horses and Gimme a Nothermaintaining an elite level since her arrival in North America, Colonial Downs once again served as the ideal launching pad for two contenders now pointing firmly toward the major year-end targets.
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