All the talk was about the battle looming between Manchego and Atlanta in the final of the Elegantimage Stake, but Phaetosive stole their thunder.
Phaetosive, in rein to trainer/driver Trond Smedshammer, escape to the outside in the lane and mowed down that talented duo en route to a 1:52.2 triumph in the rich affair.
Atlanta rushed to the lead, with Manchego getting seated in the pocket spot. That left a three-hole ride for Phaetosive. They sat that way through fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:24.4 before things got interesting. Manchego went on the attack as the field neared the head of the lane, and initially Smedshammer shot up the rail searching for room with Phaetosive.
Atlanta tired in deep stretch, and that allowed Manchego to shake loose heading into the final eighth of the mile. Phaetosive, when denied an inside path, swung to the outside and used her :27.1 closing speed to win by a neck over race favourite Manchego. Atlanta was third.
“Up until the three-quarter pole everything went like I planned,” said Smedshammer following the victory. “When Yannick (Gingras) pulled in front of me, I thought it was going to be easier to go inside, I really thought they were going to sprint home a little bit more. The rail didn’t open up. I tried inside Scotty (Zeron), but he wasn’t going to open up anything and I actually skimmed a pylon there, but I want back outside. She had every opportunity to get beat tonight.
“She’s been great her whole life and Manchego’s been getting the best of her in every start before, but today was our turn,” added Smedshammer. “She is fresh. She had a couple of incidents after the Oaks that set her back a little bit. She shipped up here yesterday and I knew today she was very calm and very good in the paddock. Everything was her way tonight.”
Purple Haze Stables LLC of Fairport, NY owns the three-year-old daughter of Explosive Matter-Phaeton. The filly is now 6-for-8 this year after assembling a 4-for-7 record last season. The $170,000 payday boosted Phaetosive’s bankroll to $845,604.