Informed Decision Strikes Late, Wins Churchill's Grade I Humana Distaff

May 02, 2009 by Churchill Downs Notes Team

Augustin Stable’s Informed Decision caught pacesetting Dubai Majesty in deep stretch and then held off 32-1 shot Temple Street by three-quarters of a length to win the 23rd running of the $335,400 Humana Distaff (Grade I) for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Julien Leparoux and trained by Jonathan Sheppard, Informed Decision ran the seven furlongs on a “sloppy” main track in 1:23.69.

Dubai Majesty, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, shot to the lead out of the gate and raced on an unopposed lead through fractions of :22.38 and :44.86. Dubai Majesty opened a daylight light leaving the far turn and was still comfortably in front at the eighth pole in 1:09.84 as Leparoux began to weave through traffic on Informed Decision.

Informed Decision, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, put her head in front with about 40 yards to go as Dubai Majesty grudgingly gave way to eventually finish in a dead heat for third another half-length back with Modification, ridden by Ramon Dominguez.

Informed Decision returned $8.40, $4.80 and $3.40. Temple Street, ridden by Jon Court, provided payoffs of $24 and $10. Dubai Majesty paid $4.20 to show and Modification $5.80.

The victory, the seventh in nine career starts, was worth $199,630 to increase Informed Decision’s earnings to $722,217.

HUMANA DISTAFF QUOTES

JULIEN LEPAROUX (rider of winner Informed Decision) – “At the quarter pole I said, there is no way she (Dubai Majesty) is going to come back. They were ahead and they kind of had the jump on me. I almost had to stop her and I thought there is no way she’s going to get back in there. She actually did. At the eighth pole she really kicked in for me. She’s amazing. She’s a very nice filly. She’s obviously a multiple Grade I winner and she deserves it.”

JONATHAN SHEPPARD (trainer of winner Informed Decision) – “I was a little concerned. It didn’t look like she was running very well on the turn. I started to lose confidence in her, but once he (jockey Julien Leparoux) eased out and finally got in the clear, she started to run. I started to feel better about our chances.

“I was (concerned about the wet track) because she had never run on it. But she’s such an aggressive, forward acting filly, I thought she might handle it. If we were going to find out if she could handle it, this was a good race to find out. I wouldn’t have her if the track wasn’t safe.

“I’ve got a couple of races picked out, but we’ll take some time to think about it. I think she can run longer, but she’s so good at this distance, I’m not sure I want to change anything.”

JON COURT (rider of second-place finisher Temple Street) – “I had to come out to go around; lost some ground. But I’ve come out and gone around with her before and won. Not today. We were second best.”

KENT DESORMEAUX (rider of third-place finisher Dubai Majesty) – “I tried to give her every chance to win. She’s got a heart of gold and she tried as hard as she could. We just couldn’t get there.”

GARRETT GOMEZ (rider of sixth-place finisher and favored Game Face) – “They were flying up front and I knew it. I was just trying to keep my filly in a position she was comfortable in. We got outrun there at the end.”