Coglianese /NYRA Photo Photo

Quidura wires field in G2 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa

by Jon Forbes

Quidura, deftly rationed up front by jockey Jose Ortiz, wired five other fillies and mares to win the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa, the final of seven graded stakes on Travers Day at Saratoga Race Course.

Away well from post 5, Quidura cleared on the lead and quickly dropped over to the hedge, setting moderate fractions of 24.19 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.11 for the half while being tracked by Hawksmoor, who moved up to challenge Quidura on the far turn, pulling within a half-length.

Ortiz gave Quidura her cue turning for home, and the 5-year-old kicked clear once again, drawing off to defeat Hawksmoor by 1 ¾ lengths for trainer Chad Brown and owner Peter M. Brant. She completed 1 1/16 miles over the firm Mellon turf course in 1:39.67 and returned $9.50 for a $2 win wager as the 7-2 second choice.

“Perfect trip,” said Ortiz. “We wanted to go to the lead, but it didn't matter I had the whole inside, if I wasn't going to go, but once I led her there, she kept going.”

Indian Blessing finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Hawksmoor and edged Quidura’s stablemates A Raving Beauty and Off Limits in a photo for third. Proctor’s Ledge completed the order of finish.

The Ballston Spa was the second start of the year for Quidura, who finished second to stablemate Fifty Five in an optional claimer contested over yielding turf July 15 at Belmont Park. She was purchased by Brant’s White Birch Farm for $3.6 million last fall at Fasig-Tipton’s November breeding stock sale after winning the 2016 Grade 3 Valley View and 2017 Grade 2 Canadian with trainer Graham Motion.

“We bought her at the sale last year and gave her plenty of time off,” said Brown. “She's had two starts this year. In her last start, it was on really soft turf that she doesn't like and she still almost won. Coming off that race, she was training strong and got the firm ground she liked. The track helped her today. The other ones it hurt. It was very, very firm today.”

Quidura, a 5-year-old Dubawi mare, has a record of 5-3-1 from 11 starts. The $220,000 winner’s share of the Ballston Spa purse lifted her earnings to $740,788.