Group One Quinella for Giant
6th October 2008
Giant’s Causeway is enjoying a vintage year on the track with quality mares Carriage Trail (5m Giant’s Causeway x Manoa, by Seeking the Gold) and Model (4m Giat’s Causeway x Snowfire, by Machiavellian) filling the quinella in the Group One Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Sunday.Trained by Shug McGaughey, Carriage Trail finished second at her most recent start in the Group Two Ballston Spa Stakes and took it up a notch for this event, turning in a career best performance to win by seven and a quarter lengths from Model.
Carriage Trail camped just off the pace for Kent Desormeaux and powered away when they turned for home stopping the clock at 1:46.77, which was a new stakes and course record for the nine furlongs on the all weather track.
“She just floated over the ground,” Desormeaux said.
“She enjoyed the entire running. It was an encouraging run down the lane. Yes, she was on the drift, but she was running so fast. I wasn’t going to hinder her by correcting her path. I just let her drift, and she was happy.”
Bred and retained to race by Stuart S Janney III and Phipps Stable, Carriage Trail earned an automatic entry into the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic at Santa Anita on October 24 and her overall record now stands at six wins and five placings from 15 starts with prizemoney of $644,627.
“This was a big thrill today to see this filly do that,” said winning trainer Shug McGaughey.
“She’s finally come into her own as a 5-year-old, and she’s had a good year. This is kind of the icing on the cake for us.
“I’ll have to talk to Mr. Janney (about the Breeders’ Cup). We’ll see.”
Both Carriage Tail and runner-up Model are bred on the highly successful Giant’s Causeway x Mr Prospector cross which has yielded nine of his 13 Group One winners to date.
Carriage Trail is from the Group Three placed Seeking the Gold mare Manoa, a daughter of Group Three winning Deputy Minister mare Deputation..
Carriage Trail is one of four North American Group One winners this year for Giant’s Causeway, joining Heatseeker, Frost Giant and Red Giant.
