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Weep No More Shocks Favorites With 30-1 Upset in $500,000 Central Bank Ashland
Weep No More Shocks Favorites With 30-1 Upset
in $500,000 Central Bank Ashland
LEXINGTON, KY (April 9, 2016) – Ashbrook Farm’s Weep No More rallied from far off the pace to win Saturday’s 79th running of the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) for 3-year-old fillies by a neck over Rachel’s Valentina, with previously undefeated favorite Cathryn Sophia another neck back in third.
Trained by Rusty Arnold and ridden by Corey Lanerie, Weep No More covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:43.57. The victory was worth $300,000 and increased Weep No More’s earnings to $342,269 with a record of 4-3-0-0.
It was the second victory in the race for Arnold, who saddled Karlovy Vary to win the 2012 running and also the second for Lanerie, who won on Hooh Why in 2009.
Weep No More, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Mineshaft out of the Storm Cat mare Crosswinds and a Keeneland sales graduate (click here for footage of her in the sales ring during the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale), also locked up a spot in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 6 at Churchill Downs by earning 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The top 14 point earners that pass the entry box for the Oaks will make up the field for the 1 1/8-mile race.
The Oaks is limited to the top 14 point-earners that pass the entry box. Weep No More’s Oaks points were the first she has earned. Rachel’s Valentina picked up 40 points to boost her total to 48, Cathryn Sophia added 20 points to hike her total to 80 and Carina Mia added 10, giving her 20 points.
Carina Mia, ridden by Julien Leparoux, led the field into the first turn with Rachel’s Valentina to her outside about a length back and Cathryn Sophia tucked in next to the rail.
The trio race in that order through fractions of :24.18, :47.24 and 1:11.02 as Weep No More lagged behind the field.
On the far turn, Rachel’s Valentina with Florent Geroux up, moved on even terms with Carina Mia as did Cathryn Sophia and Javier Castellano making a three-wide move. The trio raced as a team to the upper stretch where Carina Mia was the first to back out.
Cathryn Sophia and Rachel’s Valentina waged their own personal duel into deep stretch only to have Weep No More sweep past them both in the final yards.
Weep No More, the second longest chance in the field of five, returned $62.20, $12.40 and $3.20. Rachel’s Valentina returned $4.80 and $2.20 and Cathryn Sophia paying $2.10 to show.
Carina Mia finished two lengths back in fourth with Banree fifth.
