NEWS
Informed Decision earns first win of season
Posted: Sunday, July 04, 2010 7:40 PM
INFORMED DECISION
FourFootedFotos.com
For video of the Chicago Handicap, click here.
by Tim Nichols
Entering off a pair of third-place finishes in Grade 1 races, champion Informed Decision found her way back to the winner’s circle on Sunday at Arlington Park.
Augustin Stable’s Informed Decision battled with front-running Rinterval (Ire) in the stretch before pushing her head across the finish line first to win the $100,000 Chicago Handicap (G3) for the second straight year.
The Chicago Handicap was the five-year-old Monarchos mare’s first victory since taking the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) on November 6 at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park.
“I think it was a great effort,” winning trainer Jonathan Sheppard said. “She did only win by a small margin, but she was giving nine pounds to horses worth half a million dollars. I think the rest of them were a good ways behind. It was a little too close for comfort but she got the job done.”
Jockey Julien Leparoux positioned Informed Decision in third as stakes winner Rinterval led through two furlongs in :22.59 and a half-mile in :46.51 while Diamond Song applied pressure from second.
Informed Decision, carrying 124 pounds compared with the 117 carried by Rinterval, launched her winning bid on the turn and drew even with Rinterval in early stretch. The two battled through the lane with the 2009 champion female sprinter earning the win as the 1-to-5 favorite.
“She was pretty comfortable but she did come back to me at the wire,” Leparoux said. “She was still running very good. She feels good. Her first two races [this year] were a bit unlucky, so to win today was good.”
Runner-up Rinterval finished 3½ lengths better than third-place finisher Secret Kin.
Informed Decision finished third in the Vinery Madison Stakes (G1) on April 8 at Keeneland Race Course to open her five-year-old campaign. She followed with another third-place finish, this time in the Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) on May 1 at Churchill Downs.
Bred in Kentucky, Informed Decision improved to 12 wins from 17 career starts and earnings of $1,892,759 with her eighth graded stakes win.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor for Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Laura, Hayward, WI on July 08, 2010 at 08:39 PM
I follow a lot of Monarchos offspring, Informed Decision is one of my favorites. Good racing luck to her, she is absolute quality and has plenty of heart...
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Posted by: Frank, New Orleans, LA on July 04, 2010 at 07:55 PM
Who says the "old gray mare just ain't what she used to be?" LOL. Informed Decision is a tough, tough beat over synthetic tracks. In fact, it's only happened once in her career now. Her 2010 debut race in the Vinery Madison Stakes at Keenland. She finished 3rd in that race. But I believe the long lay-off from the Breeders Cup in November until the Vinery Madison in April may have been the deciding factor there? It didn't surprise me that she was beaten in the 2010 Humana Distaff. Because even though she races both surfaces well. Informed Decision is much tougher over synthetic tracks. She did win the 09'Humana Distaff in nearly identical track conditions. But she had to dig very deep that day to win. I think the competition in the 2010 Humana Distaff was just overall tougher than in 2009. Which made it possible for Informed Decision to be beaten in the race. But she still ran a very game 3rd in that race as well. A very high quality mare who'll make another charge at the Breeders Cup F&M Sprint again this season. IMO.
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