Joe Labozzetta / NYRA Photo

Bredenbury gets first North American win in Lady Shipman

by Brian Bohl

Andrew Stone’s Bredenbury checked off a couple of boxes on her career checklist – notching her first North American win and first career stakes victory – when she overtook Chili Petin out of the turn and fended off 2-1 favorite’s She’s My Type in deep stretch for a 1 1/4-length score in Sunday’s $80,000 Lady Shipman for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.

From the inside post, Bredenbury broke alertly under jockey Luis Saez, staying just off pacesetter Chili Petin through an opening quarter-mile in 21.86 seconds and the half in 44.20 on the firm inner turf course.

Entering the top of the stretch, Bredenbury overtook Chili Petin from the outside and pressed on for home under Saez’s left-handed encouragement. She’s My Type, a stakes winner, made a strong rally under Joel Rosario, but Brendenbury completed the six-furlong sprint in a final time of 1:07.21 for her first win in five starts since arriving from Europe.

“It was a great trip,” Saez said. “I had a plan and everything went the way we expected it would. The Wesley Ward horse (Chili Petin, No. 4) went to the lead and my plan was to follow them, sit right there and when they turn to the stretch, make our move. She responded really well. I was very confident. I knew when we came into the stretch that I had a lot of horse.”

The Irish-bred Bredenbury made her first four starts, including a maiden-breaking victory at second asking, in Great Britain before shipping to the United States last year. Under trainer Graham Motion, the daughter of Night of Thunder finally broke through in the Lady Shipman, running 16 days after a fourth-place effort in a six-furlong allowance turf sprint at Belmont on June 5.

Off at 9-1, Bredenbury returned $20 on a $2 win bet. She nearly tripled her career earnings, improving her bankroll to $67,464. Both of her career wins have come at six furlongs.

“She could go a little further, for sure,” Saez said. “When I turned her loose, she gave a really good kick.”

The French-bred She’s My Type, who won the Ginger Brew in January at Gulfstream Park for trainer Christophe Clement, was two lengths the best of Miss J McKay for second, finishing in the money [2-1-1] for the fourth time in five career starts for trainer Christophe Clement.

“Joel said he maybe moved a little too early. Maybe the winner was just the better horse on the day,” Clement said. “We’re still learning about her; she’s coming from a mile and ran six furlongs today. The final time was very fast. She ran well. Sometimes you finish second but still run a good race.”

Clement also trained fourth-place finisher Notorious R B G, who made her stakes debut in her third start.

“I would have loved her [Notorious R B G] to get black type. She was only beaten a neck for third,” Clement said. “She has good speed and should like Saratoga.”

Chili Petin, Gogo Shoes, Lady Fatima, Cofactor and Call On Mischief completed the order of finish. American Giant and Miss Peppina, a main-track only entrant, were scratched.

The Lady Shipman is named after Ranlo Investments’ graded-stakes winner who compiled a 13-2-1 record in 21 starts from 2014-16. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the daughter of Midshipman captured the 2016 Grade 3 Royal North at Woodbine and ran second to Mongolian Saturday in the 2015 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.

Live racing resumes Thursday with a nine-race card headlined by the $80,000 Easy Goer for sophomores going 1 1/16 miles on Belmont’s Big Sandy in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.