COUNTRY STAR SHINES IN STARLET
Country Star, one of the leading 2-year-old fillies in the
nation, is now two-for-two in grade I opportunities after a
scintillating 2 3/4-length triumph in the $425,500 Hollywood
Starlet (VIDEO) Dec. 15.
The winning time for the 1 1/16-mile Starlet, 1:40.54, shaved
two fifths off the previous Cushion Track mark at Hollywood Park.
The track has been playing extremely fast all week.
Bobby Frankel trains Country Star, the homebred daughter
of EMPIRE MAKER—Rings a Chime, by Metfield, for Robert
and Janice McNair's Stonerside Stable. Frankel was nearly effusive
in his praise for Country Star after her victory.
"I'm thinking back, and to me, she's the best (2-year-old filly)
I've had," he said.
The even-money favorite of the public, the dark bay filly came
into the Starlet after winning the 1 1/6-mile Alcibiades (gr. I) by
one length on Keeneland's Polytrack Oct. 5. Using the same tracking
style she employed that day, Country Star was even more impressive
this time.
"You can't even compare her win in Kentucky with this one," said
winning jockey Rafael Bejarano. "There's no comparison. She's so
much better now. You can place this filly anywhere you want. I
tried not to use her early and to get her to relax like last time.
I just followed the speed and when I got her in the clear, she just
exploded."
Country Star tracked a fast pace from well back for Bejarano,
swung wide into position between horses at the top of the stretch,
then barreled home through the lane while four wide, sweeping past
Time Reveals All to win going away. Eastern invader Grace and
Power, also closing from off the pace for jockey Michael Baze,
tried to make a race of it but could not get close to the winner,
finishing second.
"She was rolling home, but the favorite was going faster," Baze
said.
The Golden Noodle closed belatedly for third, two lengths behind
the runner-up, under Julien Leparoux.
The first three enjoyed a dream pace scenario. Spritely,
undefeated in two starts and making her stakes debut for trainer
Todd Pletcher, and Time Reveals All established fast fractions for
the distance, :23.38, :46.25 and 1:10.14, while racing
head-and-head, with Foxy Danseur and Set Play stalking them.
Spritely was the first to give way but none of the other
front-runners was ready to go on with it either when Country Star
came calling.
"I was surprised she went so wide but I guess (Bejarano) didn't
want to get in any trouble," Frankel said. "It looked like he asked
her and she took off and then he was pulling her up at the end.
"She's great to be around, easy to train and she does everything
one hundred percent. This one might be something special. We'll
probably point to some races in May, I haven't made any plans yet.
She might run in the Santa Anita Oaks, maybe one more race before
then."
Frankel has predicted big things for his former
star EMPIRE MAKER as a stallion. He said he has five
2-year-olds by EMPIRE MAKER in his barn presently, and
four are fillies. Country Star, he said, looks most like her
sire.
With back-to-back grade I wins, Country Star is certainly in the
picture as far as Eclipse Award balloting is concerned. But
Frankel wasn't making a big deal of it, knowing there is always
next year.
"Indian Blessing should get it (the Eclipse) with what she did
in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I)," he said. "But this
filly should get some consideration."
Country Star began her career with a second-place finish behind
Backseat Rhythm — the eventual third-place finisher in the
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies — in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race on
turf at Belmont Park Sept. 20. She jumped from there into the
Alcibiades.
The victory, worth $255,300, increased Country Star's earnings
to $575,900.
She paid $4, $3 and $2.40. Grace and Power, shipped west by
trainer Steve Klesaris for new owner Bobby Flay after four strong
performances on grass to begin her career, returned $9.20 and
$5.60. She completed a $2 exacta worth $39. Montana-bred The Golden
Noodle, coming off a third-place showing in the seven-furlong
Moccasin on the Hollywood synthetic track for trainer Jack Van
Berg, was $4.80 to show.
Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) winner Set Play, the only other graded
winner in the field, finished fourth, followed by Foxy Danseur,
Time Reveals All, Sunday Geisha, second choice Grace Anatomy and
Spritely
Date:
17 December 2007