NEWS
Distance no problem for Turning Top in Beverly Hills
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2010 9:16 PM
TURNING TOP
Benoit & Associates photo
For video of the Beverly Hills Handicap, click here.
by Tim Nichols
Stretching out to 1¼ miles for the first time proved to be no impediment for Michael Tabor’s Turning Top (Ire) as she easily won the $100,000 Beverly Hills Handicap (G3) on Saturday at Hollywood Park.
The four-year-old Pivotal filly won her fourth straight race and her graded stakes debut. Trained by Simon Callaghan, Turning Top easily passed pacesetter Princess Taylor (GB) in the stretch and held on for the one-length win.
She covered the 1¼ miles on firm turf in 2:01.69.
Jockey Brice Blanc positioned Turning Top in stalking position until the stretch drive, saving ground as jockey Joe Talamo sent Princess Taylor to the front.
Making her second North American start, Princess Taylor led by three lengths through a half-mile in :49.83 and one length after six furlongs in 1:14.52. Entering the stretch, Turning Top launched her bid and edged away from Princess Taylor with about a furlong to run en route to the win.
“It was just a perfect trip,” Blanc said. “Simon has done a great job with this filly. She’s so relaxed and easy going and just does everything you want. She’s got a nice finish. It takes her just three or four strides to get in full gear. Then she just levels out and lays her body down. She’s hard to catch when you can quicken like that.”
Princess Taylor held on well for second, followed by Restless Soul (GB) in third and Grade 2 winner Princess Haya in fourth. General Consensus, the 9-to-10 favorite, never rallied and finished fifth.
After winning two of nine starts in England at two and three, Turning Top was shipped to Southern California for her four-year-old campaign. After finishing sixth and third, respectively, in her first two North American starts, Turning Top found her stride this spring.
She won a one-mile optional claiming race on April 10 at Santa Anita, a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on May 13 at Hollywood, and the one-mile Redondo Beach Stakes on June 5 prior to the Beverly Hills.
Bred at Barouche Stud Ireland, Turning Top improved to six wins from 15 career starts and earnings of $171,943. She is out of the stakes-placed winning Cadeaux Genereux mare Pietra Dura (GB).
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor of Thoroughbred Times
