To view a video replay of the Eatontown Handicap, click here.

by Mike Curry

All Is Vanity (Fr) uncoiled a visually impressive turn of foot in the stretch of the $150,000 Eatontown Handicap (G3), rallying from the outside to collar runner-up Quiet Meadow in the closing strides on Sunday at Monmouth Park.

Quiet Meadow stalked pacesetter Sugar Baby Love (Ger) from second, surged to the lead leaving the turn, and shook free to a clear lead in early stretch. Quiet Meadow appeared poised to earn her first career graded stakes win, but All Is Vanity accelerated into contention under Joe Bravo and swept to the lead just before the wire to prevail by a neck.

“At the sixteenth pole, she came up to that other filly [Quiet Meadow] and I knew we had it then,” Bravo said. “She was nice and relaxed—real professional today.”

All Is Vanity completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.67 on turf rated as good.

A Group 2 winner in France in 2007, All Is Vanity earned her first graded stakes win since she was transferred last year to the barn of Christophe Clement for her four-year-old campaign. The Gold Away (Ire) mare has finished in the top three in each of her eight starts in the United States.

“This mare is very consistent,” Clement said. “We got lucky we found some room in the lane, and luck is always good to have.  Anytime you put Joe Bravo on your horse in New Jersey, you know you’re going to get a good ride.”

All Is Vanity opened her five year-old campaign with a third-place finish in the South Beach Stakes on April 11 at Gulfstream Park and entered the Eatontown off a runner-up finish in the Gallorette Handicap (G3) on May 16 at Pimlico Race Course (video).

She won the Beautiful Pleasure Stakes last year for Clement and owner Jedburgh Stud.

Sent off as the 2.60-to-1 second wagering choice, All Is Vanity was reserved in fourth early behind a moderate tempo set by Sugar Baby Love through a quarter-mile in :24.04 and a half-mile in :48.43. She was shuffled back on the turn but had plenty of stamina in reserve when roused in the stretch.

Quiet Meadow was 1 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Chestoria. Grade 1 winner Ariege lacked running room in early stretch and finished fourth as the 3-to-2 favorite.

Out of the Inchinor (GB) mare Castilly, All Is Vanity improved to nine wins in 22 career starts and boosted her earnings to $477,338.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor