Heavenly Sunday Leads All the Way to Win Edgewood
May 05, 2023
LOUISVILLE, KY (Friday, May 5, 2023) – Miacomet Farm’s Heavenly Sunday took the lead shortly after the start and then fended off a host of challengers in the stretch to prevail by three-quarters of a length in the 39th running of the $500,000 Edgewood presented by Forcht Bank (GII) for 3-year-old fillies.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Heavenly Sunday covered the mile and a sixteenth on a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:42.40. It is the third victory in the race for Geroux, who had previously won with Catch a Glimpse in 2016 and La Coronel in 2017.
Heavenly Sunday led the field of 11 through uncontested fractions of :23.19, :47.89 and 1:12.87 and hit the top of the stretch next to the rail as a wave of challengers fanned wide in pursuit.
Revalita (FR), rallying four wide at the top of the stretch, posed the most serious threat but ran out of ground.
Heavenly Sunday is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Candy Ride (ARG) out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Alien Giant. The victory was worth $291,400 and increased her earnings to $428,833 with a record of 5-3-0-2.
Heavenly Sunday returned $21.36, $9.72 and $6.78. Revalita finished second under Jose Ortiz and paid $10.48 and $7.94, finishing a neck in front of Mission of Joy, who paid $5.86 to show under Joel Rosario.
It was another head back to Papilio (IRE), who was followed in order by Liguria, Girl Named Charlie, Cairo Consort, Sabalenka, Comanche Country (IRE), Flashy Gem and Preliminary (GB).
EDGEWOOD QUOTES
Florent Geroux, jockey, Heavenly Sunday, winner: “I think there was an honest pace but I don’t think I was going extremely fast. It was just a good rhythm for her to keep her comfortable. It looked like the horse was trying to make a run for me at the end but my filly had a major turn of foot.”
Brad Cox, trainer, Heavenly Sunday, winner: “We’ve been pointing towards this race since last fall at Keeneland. I was disappointed in her first two races this year because I thought she would win. She put it all together today.”
Jose Ortiz, jockey, Revalita (FR), runner-up: “She tried really hard. We didn’t get the trip we were looking for but she’s an honest filly. She started coming back turning for home but it didn’t work out the way we planned it.”
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