Magnifica! In Italian Wires Just a Game

[Wandering Eyes]

Peter Brant's 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) took her customary spot on the front end and never looked back en route to a dominating 3 3/4-length wire-to-wire tally as the 1-5 favorite in Friday's GI Just a Game S. at Belmont Park. Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) was second; Wakanaka (Ire) (Power {GB}) was third.

In Italian left the gate from her rail draw running beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. and led through an opening quarter in an easy :24.47. Under a snug hold heading into the far turn, the chestnut was still going easy as the five-horse field bunched up approaching the top of the stretch. In Italian switched over to her right lead right on cue after a couple of taps on her right shoulder from Ortiz and she put on a show from there to collect her fourth career Grade I victory.

The final time for a mile over the firm going was 1:34.

Third in this race last year, she concluded her 2022 season with wins in the GI Diana S. at Saratoga, the GI First Lady S. at Keeneland and a game second-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in Lexington. She kicked off her 5-year-old campaign with a front-running victory in Keeneland's GI Jenny Wiley S. Apr. 15.

Pedigree Notes:

In Italian is one of 166 graded/group winners worldwide for leading sire Dubawi. In Italian's group-winning dam Florentina has an unraced 4-year-old gelding named Spanish Empire (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in Great Britain and an unraced filly named Fiorenza (Aus) by that same sire foaled in 2020. Spanish Empire was purchased by Tom Magnier for A$1.8m at the Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale in 2021. Fiorenza brought A$650,000 at the 2020 Inglis Chairman's Sale. The 15-year-old mare Florentina, a half-sister to Australian Group 1 winner Gathering (Aus) (Tale of the Cat), was barren to Pierro (Aus) in 2021 and 2022.

Friday, Belmont Park
JUST A GAME S.-GI, $485,000, Belmont, 6-9, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:34.00, fm.
1–IN ITALIAN (GB), 124, m, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
                1st Dam: Florentina (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $250,958),
                                by Redoute's Choice (Aus)
                2nd Dam: Celebria (Aus), by Peintre Celebre
                3rd Dam: Twyla (Aus), by Danehill
'TDN Rising Star'. (475,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Peter M.
Brant; B-Fairway Thoroughbreds (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad
Ortiz, Jr. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 11-7-3-1, $1,910,308.
Werk Nick Rating: B+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Spendarella, 124, f, 4, by Karakontie (Jpn)
1st Dam: Spanish Bunny, by Unusual Heat
2nd Dam: Spanish Beam, by El Gran Senor
3rd Dam: Solar Beam, by Majestic Light
($220,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O/B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd.
(NY); T-H. Graham Motion. $100,000.
3–Wakanaka (Ire), 122, m, 5, by Power (GB)
1st Dam: Storyline (Ire), by Kodiac (GB)
2nd Dam: Petite Histoire (Ire), by Desert Story (Ire)
3rd Dam: Danccini (Ire), by Dancing Dissident
(£3,500 Ylg '19 GOFFPR; $975,000 RNA 4yo '22 KEENOV).
O-Team Valor International and Gary Barber; B-Mrs Jean
Brennan (Ire); T-William I. Mott. $60,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1, NK. Odds: 0.20, 4.20, 12.70.
Also Ran: New Year's Eve, Speak of the Devil (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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