Never
Retreat overcame the No. 12 post position to capture the one-mile First
Lady by 1 ½ lengths over Together (IRE) in stakes-record time of
1:34.08 over a firm turf course. The previous record was set by Gorella
(FR) in 2006 with a clocking of 1:34.14.
Ridden
by Julien Leparoux, Never Retreat was able to get over into the three
path after the short run into the first turn as Wasted Tears led the
field of 12 through fractions of :23.59, :46.80 and 1:10.61. Wasted
Tears was still in front inside the eighth pole, but Never Retreat, who
had clear running the entire trip, took over and had enough to hold off
late bids from Together and favored Daveron (GER).
The
victory was worth $210,000 and increased Never Retreat’s earnings to
$1,268,769 with a record of 31-11-7-6. It was the fifth graded stakes
victory of 2011 for Never Retreat, who also claimed the Jenny Wiley (G2)
here in the spring. Never Retreat is a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred
daughter of Smart Strike out of the Steady Growth mare Lisieux.
Trained
by Chris Block, Never Retreat returned $10, $5.20 and $3.60. Together,
ridden by Colm O’Donoghue, returned $6 and $3.40 with Daveron finishing a
nose back in third and paying $3.20 to show under Eddie Castro.
Completing
the field in order were Wasted Tears, Bay to Bay, Gypsy’s Warning
(SAF), C. S. Silk, Cherokee Queen, Éclair de Lune (GER), Absinthe
Minded, Theyskens’ Theory and Category Seven.