Barbaro Sibling Madame Milan Breaks Maiden Friday at Laurel; Second-Time Starter by Bernardini Wins by 1 ¼ Lengths as 4-5 Favorite
Barbaro Sibling Madame Milan Breaks Maiden Friday at Laurel; Second-Time Starter by Bernardini Wins by 1 ¼ Lengths as 4-5 Favorite
Second-Time Starter by Bernardini Wins by 1 ¼ Lengths as 4-5 Favorite
Everything’s Copa Springs 13-1 Upset in Maiden Triumph
LAUREL, MD – Lael Stables’ homebred Madame Milan, a juvenile half-sister to 2006 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Barbaro, took advantage of a stretch out in distance to earn her first career victory in a competitive maiden special weight that kicked off Friday’s nine-race program at Laurel Park.
Madame Milan ($3.80) was favored at 4-5 in the $40,000 event that attracted 10 2-year-old fillies including progeny of Hall of Famers Ghostzapper and Tiznow, Kentucky Derby winners Orb and Street Sense and fellow Grade 1 winners Giant’s Causeway, Ice Box, Paynter and To Honor and Serve.
By 2006 Preakness (G1) winner Bernardini out of the Carson City mare La Ville Rouge, Madame Milan completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.93 over an All Along Turf Course layout labeled firm. It was 1 ¼ lengths back to runner-up Dancingwithpaynter, who was 6 ¼ lengths clear of Luna in third.
Third by a length in her debut going about 7 ½ furlongs on the Delaware Park turf Sept. 9, Madame Milan settled under jockey Daniel Centeno from the rail post and saved ground racing in mid-pack squeezed to her outside by Ferdinada as Dancingwithpaynter took the field through fractions of 24.07 seconds, 50.29 and 1:15.84.
Madame Milan continued to gain ground inside around the far turn and into the lane before Centeno swung to the middle of the track to reel in a stubborn Dancingwithpaynter and edge clear for trainer Arnaud Delacour.
“She ran pretty good the first time at Delaware going 7 ½. I told Arnaud that going farther is going to be easier for her,” Centeno said. “Today the track was pretty soft and she broke a little slow so I just sat off the pace and waited to run and when I put her in the clear in the stretch she just took off. I went to put her outside [Dancingwithtpaynter] and she went right to the lead and galloped out real good and everything. I think the distance helped her a lot.”
Elizabeth Mateo and Mark Taylor’s Everything’s Copa swept to the lead after straightening for home and ran down pacesetting Guess What for a one-length win in Friday’s third race, a $40,000 maiden special weight for fillies and mares 3 and older.
Everything’s Copa ($29.20), a sophomore daughter of Malibu Moon who drew in off the also-eligible list, found herself wide and in the clear around both turns from her far outside post under jockey Sheldon Russell. They moved into a contending position at the top of the stretch and collared Guess What approaching the wire to win in 1:49.90 over a firm Dahlia Turf Course.
It was 1 ½ lengths back to Stated in third. Peace Front, the 5-2 favorite from New York-based trainer Chad Brown, was never in contention and faded to sixth.
Everything’s Copa was making her eighth career start and second at Laurel, where she was sixth behind In the Lee, subsequent allowance winner that was fourth in the Commonwealth Oaks (G3), and next-out winners West Coast Bias and Kitten Smitten June 30.
“We liked her all the time and finally today she threw a nice race,” winning trainer Guadalupe Preciado said. “Every time she ran we thought she’d be OK but [she lost] seven times. I think now she’ll go to Florida.”
