Good Weekend For Calyx
Courtesy of: EBN: MONDAY, 31ST JULY 2023
Angiolleta (2f, ex Angelic Guest by Dark Angel) became the latest winner and the first stateside for Coolmore’s first season sire Calyx at Del Mar on Saturday afternoon. Angiolleta began her racing career in France under the tutelage of Christopher Head, where she impressed when beaten just three quarters of a length against colts on her previous start in a seven-furlong Nantes maiden last month.
Following a transfer to Doug O’Neill’s barn, the April-foaled filly built on the promise of that narrow defeat for her American debut over a mile at Del Mar. The chesnut juvenile was settled into eighth position after breaking a step slow and encountered congestion, while making significant progress on the far turn. She was angled in under Antonio Fresu, hitting the turn for home and produced a scintillating turn of foot in the stretch to win by a length, becoming the eighth winner for her sire. Fellow Irish-bred Loterie (Ten Sovereigns) chased her home to finish second.
Calyx’s progeny have never been out of the placings on American turf to date. Recent stateside results for the first crop sire also include the Saratoga maiden runner-up, Ever So Sweet (2f, ex Shine by Exceed And Excel). The Brad Cox trained debutant succumbed to the late surge of Kodiac Wintergreen (Kodiac) when beaten on the wire in a competitive maiden at Saratoga on July 20th.
Closer to home at Deauville yesterday afternoon, Calyx’s dual race winner Classic Flower (2f, ex Crown Of Flowers by Garswood) was narrowly denied victory in the Gr.3 Prix Six Perfections. The Patrice Cottier trainee was stepped up to seven-furlongs for this contest, having finished third behind star juvenile Ramatuelle (Justify) in the Gr.2 Prix Robert Papin last time out.
Classic Flower, held up in rear, attempted to run down the entire field in the straight only for the line to come too soon for the daughter of Calyx, who has never finished off the board in four starts. Laulne (Starspangledbanner) landed the spoils under man-of-the-moment Alexis Pouchin, having burst to the front of the pack with 150m remaining.
Classic Flower produced an eye-catching finishing run, completing the last three furlongs 0.56 seconds quicker than the winner and she was the only filly in the race to run a furlong in less than 11 seconds.