US Grade Three Winner for Fastnet
Champion Australian sire Fastnet Rock has enjoyed global success this year and featured in the US at the weekend where superbly bred Cover Song (3f Fastnet Rock x Misty for Me, by Galileo) captured the Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita.
A $450,000 Keeneland September purchase for Spendthrift Farm, the Carla Gaines trained Cover Song had a win and three placings from seven previous runs, but rose to a new level with this win.
She overcame trouble in the run to score a nose win in in the one mile turf feature.
“She broke like a Quarter Horse,” said winning rider Kent Desormeaux.
“I was fearful that I was going be 20 in front, but she made the lead and then checked herself and got into a nice rhythm. She carried me around the track very, very well and even had a horse stop right in her face and I thought, ‘no, no she doesn’t need this’.
“I re-directed and turning for home I was trying to pick a spot. I thought I had a line chosen and the horse on the outside [Danilovna] started pushing on us so I thought, ‘Ok. If you’re going to initiate contact, I’m gonna hold my ground.’ I could feel her turning it on. She would not lose.”
Cover Song comes with a big pedigree as she is a half-sister to this season’s Group II winning juvenile Roly Poly and is from Galileo’s four-time Group I winning daughter Misty for Me.
She is the 103rd stakes-winner for Fastnet Rock, who gave Spendthrift Farm an international winning double as they also tasted victory with Australian bred Cana (4m Fastnet Rock x Scattered, by Tale of the Cat) at Rosehill in Sydney.
Group III placed last preparation and a winner of over $180,000 in prizemoney, Cana was a $650,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Highgrove Stud draft.
She is a half-sister to stakes-winner Interspersed and will no doubt seek further Black Type in coming months.