Godolphin homebred Wild Beauty, already twice stakes-placed in her native Great Britain, blew the CA$401,600 (US$314,426) Natalma Stakes (G1T) field away Sept. 19 at Woodbine.
In the days before the Natalma, Chris Durham characterized Wild Beauty as "a little fighter, really." Part of trainer Charlie Appleby's stable staff in Ontario with the filly, Durham nailed Wild Beauty's performance in the race, as the daughter of Frankel had to overcome a troubled start to earn her first graded win.
Known for his acrobatics in the winner's circle at the end of the race, jockey Frankie Dettori instead had to use his athleticism to keep his mount on her feet and himself in the saddle, as the break from the gate was indeed wild for Wild Beauty: leaving from post 5, the filly was bumped and squeezed from both sides, nearly going down on her haunches and losing all position to trail the field of 10 in the early going of the one-mile race. The Japanese-bred Cardio Princess set the pace with the other nine 2-year-olds trailing behind her, with Wild Beauty bringing up the rear, some 12 lengths back.
Running through swift quarter-mile fractions of :23.35 and :47.03 over a turf course labeled good, Cardio Princess was tracked closely by Guileful, Ready Lady, and Royal Engagement. More than a dozen lengths back, Dettori was settling Wild Beauty and commencing a steady, deliberate approach, at first picking off three horses to race in seventh, then swinging her seven-wide coming into the stretch.
Wild Beauty's tumultuous beginning apparently did nothing to impede her energy or tractability, as she eagerly and willingly ran as soon as Dettori let her, sweeping past her rivals to win by 2 1/4 lengths as the post-time 7-5 favorite.
The final time was 1:35.08.
Pizza Bianca finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Eminent Victor in third.
"She jumped, and then she was squeezed, and she just dropped back out of the pocket," said Dettori in a post-race interview on NBCSN. "It was my luck they went way too fast. Charlie (Appleby) couldn't emphasize enough her stamina. He said, 'Ride her in the European style. Kick at the quarter pole and let them catch you.' He was right."
The win in the Natalma was one of three grade 1 wins for the team of Appleby, Dettori, and Godolphin at Woodbine on the same weekend. Appleby picked up another stakes win at Belmont Park a day prior in the Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) with Yibir, also owned and bred by Godolphin.
Wild Beauty, bred by Godolphin, is out of the stakes-winning Pivotal mare Tulips and is a half sister to group 3-placed Swift Rose. Tulips foaled a full brother to Wild Beauty this year.
Standing restlessly in the winner's circle to get her picture taken, Wild Beauty struck out repeatedly with her hind leg, her behavior leaving Dettori electing to forgo his traditional flying dismount.
The win was her third in six starts. Her lone finish outside the top two came in her first race, when she finished sixth. The Natalma is her first start outside of England. It seems likely that the filly will return to North America in short order, as the Natalma is a "Win and You're In" race for the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Del Mar.
Having taken full advantage of Woodbine's long stretch and wide turns, Dettori wasn't entirely confident of Wild Beauty's ability to handle the smaller dimension at Del Mar.
"It could be different," conceded Dettori in his TV interview. "There's always a full field and the straight is half the size, so you very much rely on the draw. You need to get lucky. She's definitely good enough to take part."
