Late-Blooming Ratajkowski Takes Next Step in Falls City

[Wandering Eyes]

The long-legged Ratajkowski (Drosselmeyer)–appropriately named after Sports Illustrated super model Emily Ratajkowski–has been an exercise in patience for her connections, but she proved worth the wait. Winning four of six starts since coming onto the scene this year at age five, the Empire-bred looks to take her career to the next level on Thanksgiving in the GII Falls City H. at Churchill Downs.

“She has been a pleasant surprise,” said trainer Brian Lynch. “She is 17 odd hands, so she is a very, very big filly. She was slow to come around and had a couple of little minor hiccups as a two and 3-years-old. She got pushed back a bit further as a 4-year-old, but she always showed that she had a fair share of talent. The guys were patient enough with her and she has been a pleasant surprise as a 5-year-old.”

The conditioner added, “The way she grew into such a big mare, they always thought if we could get her to the races, the talent is there. She came in to my barn in the spring at Keeneland. Scott Hansen, who manages all of Gary Broad’s horses, had her as a young horse and he kept telling me, he thought we had a nice one in the pipeline. You could see when you breezed her that she could run. We got her up to New York because she was a New York-bred. We kept her up there through the summer and she was productive.”

Productive was putting it mildly. Graduating at second asking June 20 at Belmont, Ratajkowski was a close second next out going nine panels at Saratoga July 25, but rebounded with a neck success over that track and trip Aug. 16. Following suit with a 10 1/2-length demolition of her competition going a sixteenth shorter at Belmont Sept. 11, the chestnut captured the one-mile Empire Distaff H. in her first try against stakes company Oct. 19.

“The icing on the cake was winning a stake up there last out,” Lynch said. “We felt she was competitive enough to compete in open company, so we thought we would give the Falls City H. a try. We are based here at Churchill, so it is right in our backyard.”

Lynch added, “Her start before was very impressive, where she drew off to win by 10. The cut back to a mile helped and she stepped up. A mile and an eighth may be as far as she wants to run, but she is relaxing a lot more, so hopefully we will get the mile and an eight against this group.”

Ratajkowski drew post eight of nine for her first try against open company and faces a strong field, including the top finishers from both the GIII Locust Grove S. and GIII Chilukki S.

“It is a competitive race and it is nice to get the outside post, where she should get a good stalking position,” Lynch said. “The test for her this time will be the distance. It may be a bit of a stretch, but I feel good about it going into it.”

Even though Ratajkowski is a 5-year-old, an age when many mares head to the breeding shed, it was just her first season on the racetrack, so fans will get a chance to see her again at age six.

“I think we are going to give her the winter off after this race and bring her back to New York for a little 6-year-old campaign against those guys up there,” Lynch said.

 

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