Cavorting captures Ogden Phipps
June 11th, 2016
Fresh off a five-length triumph in the Ruffian (G2) going a mile over Belmont Park’s main track, the four-year-old filly found herself running near the rear of the stellar seven-distaffer field. Geroux allowed Cavorting to settle as Desert Valley set the early pace through fractions of :23.37 and :46.20.
Cavorting began moving exiting the backstretch, swinging out to find herself widest of all rounding the turn. By this point, Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Stopchargingmaria, La Troienne (G1) romper Curalina and Madison (G1) heroine Sheer Drama had all ranged up to run in tandem with Desert Valley around the turn.
Suddenly, Cavorting hit another gear and burst away from her rivals on the far outside. The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee continued motoring in the stretch to score by 2 1/2 lengths as the 4-1 fourth choice.
The Bernardini filly paid $10.60 for finishing 1 1/16 miles on the fast dirt in 1:40.14.
Forever Unbridled, the 3-1 third pick, rallied after being last in the early going to take second by a half-length on Carrumba. Curalina, the near 2-1 favorite, filled out the superfecta another three parts of a length behind and was followed under the wire by Sheer Drama, Stopchargingmaria and Desert Valley.
Cavorting became known as a sprinter during her sophomore campaign, taking such prestigious races as the Test (G1) and Prioress (G1) before closing out 2015 with a fourth-placing in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and a third in the La Brea (G1).
She opened her four-year-old season in the same fashion, running second in the Distaff H. (G3) going seven furlongs, but stretched out to a mile most recently on May 14 for the Ruffian.
Also showing wins in the Adirondack (G2) as a juvenile and Jersey Girl S. as a sophomore, Cavorting improved her career record to read 12-7-1-1, $1,663,000 with the Ogden Phipps added to her resume.
Bred in Kentucky by Swettenham Stud, Cavorting was purchased by Stonestreet Stables as a $360,000 Keeneland November weanling. The bay miss is out of the Grade 2-winning Carson City mare Promenade Girl, who ran third in the 2007 Ogden Phipps Handicap.
Cavorting has a juvenile half-brother named Thirstforlife, who finished third in the Kentucky Juvenile S. on May 5 at Churchill Downs. This female family also includes Grade 1 winners Another Review and No Review as well as multiple Group 1-scoring top sire Lyphard.
Cavorting photo courtesy of Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos
OGDEN PHIPPS QUOTES
Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer Cavorting, winner: "Her pedigree indicated that she wanted to go further. Being by Bernardini, her third start we tried the Frizette, but it was a funny racetrack that day a little wet. The jockey did a great job. One turn is great and we're real happy to win the Phipps two years in a row. Sorry Dinny (Phipps) isn't here with us but it was a great win.
"I was happy during the race because she was settled. She can get keen, so when she settled I was happy. I just wanted her to wait and go outside. Once that happened I was happy he (jockey Florent Geroux) did a great job.
"I'll have to look at where we go next. Probably at Saratoga, something at two turns. We'll see she's on a good roll."
Florent Geroux, jockey Cavorting, winner: "She broke well and I was able to relax her at the back of the pack. She settled very nicely for me and when I asked her to go down the lane she responded well.
"She didn't (have a lot left in the stretch). Sometimes she can be a little tricky. She can be aggressive in a race. The question was the distance. She ran seven-eighths and the mile, but today was a mile and a sixteenth. It was the first time she went the distance, so it was really exciting."
Dallas Stewart, trainer Forever Unbridled, second: "He (jockey Joel Rosario) said he was having a little bit of traffic trouble but Cavorting ran a great race. I'm not happy we got beat. When it comes to next time, when we go two turns and a mile-and-an-eighth, I think we'll be good. (Near the wire), I feel like she was just getting ready to come at that filly, but the race was over."
Todd Pletcher, trainer Curalina (fourth) and Stopchargingmaria (sixth): "I was pretty disappointed in the outcome, but it looks like both came back well. We'll regroup."
John Velazquez, jockey Curalina, fourth: "She ran her best race but today they were going a little too fast on the front end."
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