DEL MAR, Calif. – When the month began, Super Corredora was still a maiden. When it ended, the daughter of Gun Runner was not only a Breeders’ Cup winner but also the favorite to claim the Eclipse Award in her division after making every pole a winning one en route to a three-quarter-length victory over the 3-2 favorite Explora in Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.
Super Corredora gave her regular rider, Hector Berrios, his first Breeders’ Cup winner. She was the fourth for trainer John Sadler, who won the Classic with the great Flightline in 2022 and the Breeders' Cup Mile with Full Serrano here a year ago.
Super Corredora began her career with fifth- and second-place finishes in maiden special weight sprints during the Del Mar summer meet before stretching out around two turns on Oct. 11. She won that mile-long race at Santa Anita by 8 1/4 lengths while eased up to the wire, a performance that gave Sadler the confidence to wheel his filly back on just three weeks rest in the Juvenile Fillies.
“To be honest, I was kind of surprised when John called and said he’d like to take a hard look at the Breeders’ Cup because the first thing you think about is the three weeks,” said Terry Finley, whose West Point Thoroughbreds is part of the ownership group for Super Corredora, as it was with Flightline several years earlier. “I wasn’t around John for much of the week, but I was the last day and I could feel his confidence. It wasn’t the level of Flightline confidence, but it was pretty good.”
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Berrios’s strategy was apparent right from the start as he hustled Super Corredora to take the lead from Explora after the first furlong of the 1 1/16-mile race. The pace was an honest one, an opening quarter in 22.42 seconds and a half in 45.65, with La Wally stalking the leader from the outside and Explora tracking close behind along the rail.
Super Corredora disposed of La Wally a little over a quarter-mile from the wire but quickly had Explora for a challenger as the field exited the turn. Yet the favorite was never able to really make up any ground on the determined leader, as Super Corredora dug in gamely through the final furlong under vigorous handling from Berrios.
Percy’s Bar saved ground, got shuffled back briefly on the far turn, bounced off the inner rail when trying to rally inside Meaning in early stretch, then continued willingly to best that rival by a head to finish third. She was following by the wide-running Tommy Jo, Battle of Rouge, La Ville Lumiere, the tiring La Wally, and Iron Orchard, who lost her best chance when stumbling badly after the start.
Super Corredora is owned in partnership by West Point, Robert Gardiner, and Michael Olszewski. She completed the distance over a fast track in 1:43.71, paid $19.60, and earned a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure..
“I said we’re going to go big or go home. I told Hector to go for it,” said Sadler when asked about the strategy to put Super Corredora on the lead from the outset. “I thought she’s a really lovely mover and I thought even if she’s going a little fast, she moves very rhythmically, so I said get her out and get her rolling. And it worked out."
Sadler said he wasn’t concerned as the rapid early splits were posted on the tote board.
“In horse racing, it’s a lot about how they are doing it. She was going fast, but she was striding out. She wasn’t head-to-head, so it was good,” observed Sadler. “I was a little nervous at the top of stretch when Bob [Baffert]'s filly challenged her, but I know the nuances of this track, and I know speed is good.”
As for winning a Breeders’ Cup race just three weeks after winning her first race, Sadler said that victory in her two-turn debut was more than just a maiden win.
“I was really confident when I ran her two turns for the first time and it didn’t surprise me she was able to win. What was surprising was how easy she did it,” Sadler offered. “She could have won by a lot more if Hector had let her run to the end. It was really a jaw-dropping experience.”
A disappointed Bob Baffert offered little excuse after his Explora did not have an answer for Super Corredora despite taking dead aim and having the entire stretch to run her down.
“She was in a good spot and looked like she was going to get by her. She just got beat,” said Baffert. “When we didn’t get the lead, I knew we’d be in trouble. We probably should have been in front. But she showed up.”
Trainer Ben Colebrook said he was proud of his filly, Percy’s Bar, who rallied along the inside to finish third despite bouncing off the rail in early stretch.
“I don’t think we’re catching the winner, but I sure wish that hadn’t happened,” said Colebrook. “She got stopped, came on again, and I’m glad she was able to get third. You never like to have something like that happen, especially in a big race like that.”
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