A more extensive version of my Gardenia story than what ran in the paper this morning:
Fred Bradley has been coming to Ellis Park for most of his 80 years as an owner, trainer, bettor and fan. But the now-retired lawyer and Kentucky state senator had never won a stakes at what he considers his hometown track until Groupie Doll blasted to a three-length victory over Secret File in Ellis Park’s Grade III Gardenia Stakes.
“She could be a good one,” said Bradley, who grew up in nearby Providence, Ky., and has a photo from 1938 when he was in the track then known as Dade Park winner’s circle with his father. “She already is a good one. She might be a real, real good one.
“… This one, I could not believe. People spend millions trying to get a good horse. And we spent $8,000 to get this horse, the stud fee in this one.”
Groupie Doll, the only 3-year-old in the field of 12 fillies and mares, is a Bradley production through and through, being bred and co-owned by Bradley with his son Buff, the trainer. The chestnut daughter of Bowman’s Band is out of the Bradleys’ Silver Deputy mare Deputy Doll, with Buff on hand when she gave birth to the filly at their Indian Ridge Farm in Frankfort, Ky.
Groupie Doll now has won three straight by a combined 14 ¾ lengths after finishing eighth in her career debut June 4 in a Churchill Downs’ turf sprint. Now the earner of $113,130, she is helping to fill the gaping void in the stable brought by the retirement of their popular gelding Brass Hat, the $2.1 million-earner who retired to Indian Ridge earlier this year.
Next up for Groupie Doll likely will be the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks Sept. 17 in West Virginia.
“You can ask the staff. I told Brass when he left (Churchill), ‘Give the baton to one of these animals for me, will you please? I need it,’” Buff said. “Because I wouldn’t have survived without him.”
Jockey Greta Kuntzweiler had Groupie Doll in striking distance throughout, shooting to the lead on the inside of pacesetting favorite Tidal Pool in mid-stretch. The filly drew off to cover the mile in 1:37.37, with Groupie Doll paying $17.40 to win as the fifth choice.
“About the middle of the turn, I saw Greta started riding and I didn’t see her accelerate strongly,” Buff said. “So I was getting a little worried. I thought, ‘Well, she’s not firing.’ Greta switched sticks to the left hand, and she took off. I could tell she was moving then.”
“When it opened up, and I kind of got after her, she just exploded,” Kuntzweiler said. “I think it says something about her beating older fillies today. We didn’t get to the bottom of her, I don’t think. She’s got a lot of room to improve yet.”
Secret File, ridden by Jon Court, closed from eighth to finish 3 ¾ lengths in front of Stage Magic, who edged Fortune Play. Tidal Pool wound up fifth.