Portales wins 2013 Chantilly Stakes
Winnipeg Futurity winner now 2-for-2 at Downs as a 3-year-old
by George
Portales assumed the lead from the gate and held off Alberta shipper Canaveral Leader through the stretch to win the 33rd running of the $30,000 Chantilly Stakes at Assiniboia Downs on Wednesday evening by a neck.
Ridden by Jordan Olesiak, Portales set fractions of 23.20 and 46.60 under steadily increasing pressure from Canaveral Leader and held a ½-length advantage over her outside rival at the eighth pole after 5/8ths in 59.40. In the drive to the wire Canaveral Leader gave it everything she had to get within a neck of the winner under Trevor Simpson, but you still got the feeling that Portales had her rival measured through the stretch.
The final time for the six furlongs over the fast track was 1:12 and the winner paid $3.90 as the favourite. Magical Powder rallied outside to take the show from Two Barrel Tootie by a neck, but was still 4 ¼-lengths behind Canaveral Leader at the wire. Also of note, Two Barrel Tootie was moving well on the inside into the turn and had to pull back. She may have finished better if not for that.
Owned by Terry Propps and trained by Charlie Smith, Portales is 2-for-2 at the Downs this year, having also won an $18,000 allowance race on June 13. Last year’s Winnipeg Futurity winner now sports a record of 2-2-0 from four starts at the Downs.
The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Sharp Humor-Justasprinkle by Gilded Time improved her lifetime record to 6-2-2 from 11 starts for earnings of $118,683.
Propps and Smith will now consider the one-mile $50,000 Assiniboia Oaks on August 5 and that could be interesting, as Portales has yet to prove herself over six furlongs.
Next Post Time for Live Racing: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 28, 2013