Tom Thill Photo

Pass the Champagne makes the grade with strong finish in G2 Ruffian

by Brian Bohl

Hill Stable, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rock Ridge Racing, Blackridge Stables and James F. Brown’s Pass the Champagne, a three-time runner-up in stakes competition, finally broke through, overtaking Gerrymander and Idiomatic at the top of the stretch before extending her lead en route to a 5 1/2-length win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up at Belmont Park.

Pass the Champagne, who started her 5-year-old campaign with runner-up efforts in the Wayward Lass in January at Tampa Bay Downs and last out in the Heavenly Cause in April at Laurel Park, sat in fourth position as the Chad Brown-trained Gerrymander, piloted by Dylan Davis, led the compact six-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.51 seconds before moving up to third with the half in 47.01 over the fast main track.

The George Weaver trainee, ridden patiently by Feargal Lynch, was tipped out exiting the turn. Once straightened at the top of the stretch, Pass the Champagne responded well to Lynch’s right-handed encouragement, thundering home from the outside and drawing away to complete the one-turn mile in a final time of 1:36.13.

Idiomatic outkicked Gerrymander by 1 1/2-lengths for second, while Timeless Journey, Kathleen O. and Mommasgottarun completed the order of finish.

“This is very rewarding,” said Blair Golen, assistant to Weaver. “She’s such a great, talented filly and we knew she had it in her. For her to be able to pull that off today on such a big day is pretty special and amazing, because she’s always been special. She has been training very well and it paid off. I’m very proud of the team.”

Off at 7-1, Pass the Champagne, bred in Kentucky by Preston Madden, returned $17 on a $2 win bet. She upped her career bankroll to $315,070.

“I had a great trip, just like we planned it with George,” Lynch said. “We just wanted to take this filly back and make one run. We felt like when she's up there on the pace, she's just doing a little too much and can't finish it off. She's got a closing kick for an eighth of a mile and you just have to hold on to it as long as possible.”

The Flatter mare showed ability as a 3-year-old, as Pass the Champagne in just her second career start finished second to subsequent two-time Champion Malathaat in the 2021 Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland and finished her sophomore season with an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks before returning last February to win an optional claiming event at Gulfstream Park. That marked her only race of 2022 before returning this year, earning a winner’s circle trip for the first time in the current campaign.

Pass the Champagne’s connections credited the previous race, where she ran second to Beth’s Dream in Maryland, for the win in the Ruffian’s 47th edition.

“It absolutely [gave her fitness] and it gave Feargal a chance to learn an awful lot about her,” Golen said. “I was very impressed with how she ran down there stretching out down the lane very nicely.”

Idiomatic, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Trevor McCarthy, has finished on the board in all seven of her career starts, moving to 4-1-2. The 4-year-old daughter of Hall of Famer Curlin was making her graded stakes debut.

“It was a really great effort,” McCarthy said. “She broke very well and we wanted to let her run forward and take away nothing that came easy to her. Chad’s filly [Gerrymander] wanted to go to the lead, so I kind of just sat my hands down and let them go. I got her into a comfortable rhythm and she’s a horse who doesn’t have a huge turn of foot, but she finished well and there was no beating the winner.”

Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont with a nine-race card, featuring the Grade 3, $175,000 Beaugay in Race 3 and the $150,000 License Fee in the ninth race finale. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring/summer meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.