Softly on the Right Track With Churchill Downs Win

Of the nine fillies and mares entered in Saturday’s $223,600 Churchill Downs Distaff Handicap, only two had won a race before in Louisville -- longshots Softly and Lotta Rhythm.

After the Grade II was history, the same held true.

Softly, a 23-1 shot, rallied late under jockey Jon Court and beat California shipper Bare Necessities by a neck in 1:35 for the mile.

Owned by James Tafel and trained by Carl Nafzger, the 4-year-old Binalong filly won for the sixth time in 13 starts and is two for three at Churchill Downs. She had won an optional claimer locally under the same jockey May 16.

“Truthfully, she had never lived up to expectations until recently,” said Nafzger, who also won the final race on the Churchill Downs card with 5-1 shot Proud Partner. “But, after she closed so well to win at Arlington Park [the Sweetest Chant on Oct. 14], I thought, ‘Hey, the Distaff’s run on our home track. Let’s take a shot.’ ”

Bare Necessities, who had won three of seven in California for trainer Wally Dollase, wound up 2 1/2 lengths clear of Victory Ride. Trip, the 19-10 favorite, was seventh and Habibti finished eighth for trainer Bob Baffert. She is winless in five races since taking last year’s Hollywood Starlet.

“I just followed the instructions Carl gave me,” Court said. “I let the speed duel itself out [through 22 2/5, 44 2/5 and 1:09 1/5 fractions]. They were winging at the start and we were winging at the end.”

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Taking advantage of a dream trip, 8-5 favorite Babae won the $116,700 Athenia Handicap at Aqueduct.

Ridden by Jorge Chavez for owner Joseph Platt Jr. and trainer Frank Alexander, the 6-year-old Barkerville mare beat 4-1 second choice Strawberry Blonde by three-quarters of a length. She completed the 1 1/16 miles over a yielding turf course in 1:44 4/5.

This was the 14th win in 39 starts for the Chilean-bred mare.

“She’s a really good mare,” Alexander said. “She never runs a bad race. I was looking at her record the other day and, even in the Diana, she only got beat by a length when she was fourth at a distance she doesn’t like against some of the best fillies and mares in the country.

“Jorge knows her very well and when he gets to the front on her, she’s very game. She doesn’t let anything go past her.”

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Sentimental Value made a successful main track debut, winning the $125,000 Matiara Stakes over a sloppy surface at Hollywood Park.

Trained by Kristin Mulhall for the Thoroughbred Corp., which is managed by her father Richard, Sentimental Value followed up her win in last month’s Harold C. Ramser Sr. Handicap on the Santa Anita turf with a four-length win over Secret Garden and four other 3-year-old fillies.

This was the fourth win in 11 starts for the daughter of Diesis. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, she completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.

“She’s a great filly,” said Kristin Mulhall, 20. “She tries really hard all the time. She goes all out whenever you ask her. I didn’t put [mud] stickers on her and I was a little worried that she was going to slide around. Victor said she did a little bit, but she ran huge.”

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Even though favored Metatron was unplaced in the $60,000-added Albany Handicap at Golden Gate Fields, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer still was able to win the sprint with Halo Cat.

Making his first start in California, the 4-year-old Southern Halo gelding took charge in the stretch under jockey Francisco Duran and went on to beat 20-1 shot San Nicolas and six others in 1:09 2/5 for the six furlongs.