Conquest Harlanate put in a dominant stretch-running effort to take Sunday’s Grade 3 $201,600 Mazarine Stakes.
Trained by Mark Casse for Conquest Stables LLC, the bay daughter of Harlan’s Holiday-Allison’s Pride arrived at the 1 1/16-miles ‘Poly’ route from a driving neck score in the grassy Grade 2 Natalma Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In event, securing a place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Bred in Ontario by Windhaven Farms Limited, Conquest Harlanate was sent to post as the 3-5 mutuel favourite in the Mazarine and ran to her odds with a patient ground-saving trip engineered by Patrick Husbands.
Settled along the rail in fifth position in the early running, Conquest Harlanate rated perfectly as Del Cielo set splits of :24.94 and :49.32 under pressure from Ontario Debutante Stakes winner Dixie Twist.
Del Cielo led the field through the far turn as Conquest Harlanate progressed up the rail and tipped out as the field straightened away, splitting Del Cielo and Dixie Twist, galloping out a 2 1/4-length winner. Brooklynsway, the Muskoka Stakes champ, rallied gamely down the lane for place, 2 1/2-lengths in front of the game Del Cielo.
Kathryn Sullivan, assistant trainer for Casse, continues to be impressed by the professional bay.
“She’s doing really well and we’re really happy with how she has progressed,” said Sullivan. “She’s a lovely filly, she’s smart and everything is going the way we want it to go right now.”
Conquest Harlanate’s second graded stakes score marked the seventh stakes victory of the meet for Ernie Semersky and Dory Newell’s Conquest Stables, adding to wins by Conquest Tsunami (Victoria, Colin), Conquest Top Gun (Victoria Park), Conquest Boogaloo (Swynford) and Conquest Typhoon (G2 Summer.)
“They (Ernie and Dory) bring a lot of enthusiasm and they’ve worked so hard for the two years they’ve been in the game. They research, talk to people and have worked really hard to get this lucky,” said Sullivan.
Conquest Harlanate banked $108,000 in victory while improving her career record to 3-0-1 from four starts.
She returned $3.30, $2.60 and $2.10, pairing with Brooklynsway ($4.20, $3.20) for a $13.50 (1-4) exactor. A 1-4-2 (Del Cielo, $4.10 to show) triactor was worth $80.50. Conquest Two Step was scratched.
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