NEWS
Proud Spell named top three-year-old filly
Posted: Monday, January 26, 2009 10:08 PM
PROUD SPELL (inside) DEFEATS MUSIC NOTE IN ALABAMA STAKES (G1)
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Frank Angst
With victories in winter, spring, and summer—including two of the biggest races in her division—Proud Spell secured the Eclipse Award for three-year-old filly.
In fact, the championship may have come down to a head, which was the length of victory by Proud Spell over divisional finalist Music Note in the Alabama Stakes (G1) on August 16 at Saratoga Race Course.
“Well, I've always told everybody, I mean, needless to say, she's got a lot of talent. … But her heart and determination and just true grit to get the job done, I mean she just absolutely refuses to be denied,” Proud Spell’s trainer, Larry Jones, said in the summer.
Proud Spell finished on the board in each of her eight 2008 starts, all graded stakes. After closing 2007 with a runner-up finish to Indian Blessing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Proud Spell faced Indian Blessing in a pair of winter starts at Fair Grounds, finishing second in the Silverbulletday Stakes (G3) before turning the tables on that opponent in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2).
After a third-place finish in the Ashland Stakes (G1) on the synthetic Polytrack surface at Keeneland Race Course, Proud Spell delivered a five-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.
In the summer, Proud Spell and Music Note met twice with Music Note winning the Mother Goose Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, where Proud Spell finished third before scoring in the Alabama.
Proud Spell is the first filly to win the Kentucky Oaks and the Alabama since 2002 champion three-year-old filly Farda Amiga.
Frank Angst is a Thoroughbred Times senior writer
| 2008 record |
|
|
|
|
| Starts |
Wins |
Second |
Third |
Earnings |
| 8 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
$1,514,610 |
