Tarifa makes winning stakes debut in Rachel Alexandra

Feb 17, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Godolphin’s Tarifa was making her stakes debut in Saturday’s $291,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2), but the homebred filly toppled her more battle-tested rivals at Fair Grounds. By collecting 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, the Brad Cox trainee jumped straight to the top of the leaderboard.

Tarifa is the second straight Godolphin runner to capture the Rachel Alexandra, after champion Pretty Mischievous, who went on to add the Kentucky Oaks (G1) during her Eclipse Award-winning campaign.

Ironically, the trainer of Pretty Mischievous, Brendan Walsh, sent out the beaten favorite in Saturday’s renewal of the Rachel Alexandra. The Walsh-trained Intricate was dispatched as the 17-10 choice, on the strength of her impressive score in the Golden Rod (G2), but she couldn’t catch Tarifa.

Interestingly, Tarifa was bet down from a 6-1 morning line to become the 5-2 second choice. Stablemate Alpine Princess brought more credentials, as the winner of the Dec. 23 Untapable S. here. Yet Alpine Princess drifted up to odds of 4.40-1. The betting public got their pecking order right, presumably influenced by the fact that jockey Flavien Prat was aboard Tarifa.

Breaking sharply on the rail, Tarifa secured excellent position in third early. Up front, Perfect Shot led the way from Alpine Princess on the sloppy track. Turning into the stretch, Alpine Princess appeared poised to assert when she tackled the leader. She soon flattened out, however, upon straightening.

Instead, it was Tarifa who swooped to conquer. Switched to the outside, the daughter of Bernardini rolled to a 2 3/4-length decision. Tarifa clocked 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.28.

#1 Tarifa takes on stakes company for the first time and earns 50 points towards the Kentucky Oaks in the Rachel Alexandra S. @fairgroundsnola for trainer @bradcoxracing with Flavien Prat aboard! 🌷

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay #FG152 @johngdooley pic.twitter.com/pSERoU0Y76

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 18, 2024

Intricate, reserved near the back of the pack in fifth, closed to finish a clear second by three lengths. Unable to kick off a big-race double for sire Gun Runner, who furnished Saturday’s Risen Star (G2) hero Sierra Leone, Intricate earned 25 additional points to bring up her total to 35.

Perfect Shot held third, good for 15 points and an overall tally of 25. Alpine Princess tired to fourth, and her 10-point deposit doubled her balance to 20. V V’s Dream was a non-threatening fifth (five points for a total of 23), in another lackluster performance on a sloppy track. Last year’s sensational Pocahontas (G3) winner, V V’s Dream can be assessed better back on a fast surface. Pennick trailed throughout after dipping awkwardly out of the gate.

Cox’s other entrant, West Omaha, was scratched. Plans call for her to head to next Saturday’s Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn Park.

Tarifa’s scorecard stands at 4-3-0-0, $278,925. A smashing debut winner at Keeneland, the dark bay was a subpar fourth next out at Churchill Downs. She rebounded when taking the blinkers off in an allowance at Fair Grounds, and made it two in a row in this stepping stone to the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2).

The Kentucky-bred is out of the Awesome Again mare Kite Beach, who is closely related to 2013 Preakness (G1) winner Oxbow and fellow Grade 1 star Paynter, the runner-up in the 2012 Belmont (G1). Tarifa’s maternal grandmother (second dam), Grade 2 victress Tizdubai, is a full sister to Hall of Famer and two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) hero Tiznow.