Paid Up Subscriber and Bradester Headed for Breeders’ Cup

Paid Up Subscriber Upsets Fleur de Lis

Up and coming Paid Up Subscriber proved she belonged in the older filly and mare division when she galloped to a decisive three-length victory in the $200,000 Gr.2 Fleur de Lis this past Saturday at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old filly upset at 6-1, denying 3-5 post time favorite and 2014 Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Untapable, who finished fourth.

The daughter of Candy Ride, Paid Up Subscriber came off an Allowance victory on the Kentucky Oaks undercard on May 6th. In perfect striking position, under Ricardo Santana Jr., the Albert stall Jr.trainee sat fourth behind favorites Ahh Chocolate and Untapable as frontrunning Big Brook took the field through the quarter in :23.51 and half mile in :47.82. Ahh Chocolate controlled the pace at the three-quarter call, running six furlongs in 1:12.39. Once the field entered the stretch, Paid Up Subscriber split rivals and drew clear to win by three lengths in a final time of 1:48.44.

“That was my dream trip,” jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. said of his winning ride. “A couple of horses went to the lead and we were sitting in behind speed. I saved all the ground I could and turning for home she closed out. She’s a nice filly.”

It was not the smoothest of journeys for beaten favorite Untapable, who fought jockey Florent Geroux in the first quarter of the 1 ⅛-mile event. Rushed up between rivals into the first turn, she pressed the pace all the way to the top of the stretch and gave way. Paid Up Subscriber carried six and four pounds less than Untapable and Ahh Chocolate, respectively.

The Fleur de Lis is Part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series, which awards the winner a spot in the starting gate of the Distaff division of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be held November 4-5 at Santa Anita Park.

“She’s supposed to do (two turns) on paper but you never know until you try,” explained trainer Albert Stall Jr. of Paid Up Subscriber. “Even though we knew that there were some tigers in here, the way she trained up to it really gave us a lot of confidence going in.”

Bradester Gains First Gr.1 Victory in Stephen Foster

Joseph Sutton’s Bradester is 2 for 2 in 2016 after winning the $500,000 Gr.1 Stephen Foster, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” race at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old son of Lion Heart kept half a length in front of late closing Eagle to score his first ever grade one victory.

It was Bradester’s first attempt at going 1 ⅛th,but the colt broke well from the gate and darted straight to the lead. Under jockey Joe Bravo, he took the field of seven through the quarter in :23.64, half in :47.58, and six furlongs in 1:11.67. Eagle launched a late-drive in an attempt to go from last to first, but Bradester prevailed. Majestic Harbor, who stalked the frontrunner, finished third while El Kabeir rounded out the superfecta in fourth. The final time for the race was 1:48.85.

“He’s a pretty fun horse,” said winning jockey Joe Bravo. “He does all the hard work for you. He kind of reminds me of his father Lion Heart, who I rode in the Haskell. I just kind of rode him like his dad and you saw what he did today.”

Trainer Eddie Kenneally was on hand to chat with media. “He’s been a durable and hard-knocking horse and it’s great to finally win a Grade I. He runs well fresh, so we gave him the winter off after the Breeders’ Cup. He came back with a huge run at Monmouth a month ago and so we decided to take a shot. He’s a beautiful horse, and now he’s got credentials to be a stallion, hopefully, at some point in his career here in Kentucky. I think he’s earned that right.

Kenneally expressed much contentment with the ride and accomplishment, stating, “Joe (Bravo) rode him with so much confidence… we are just so delighted for the whole team. We have a great crew and we couldn’t have done any of this without them.”

Bradester was sold for $195,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Select 2-Year-Olds in Training sale in Florida back in 2012. From 23 career starts, the Kentucky-bred has 9 wins, 6 seconds, and 2 thirds, totaling $1,056,532 in earnings.

Photo: © EverythingEQ.com / Mary Ellet