On a rainy day at Keeneland, Change of Control proved bettors and even her own connections wrong as she ran down even-money favorite Into Mystic to win the $100,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes at odds of 8-1.
"We weren't expecting her to be able to run them down on the soft turf, so she proved us wrong," said trainer Michelle Lovell, who collected her 500th career win and her first Keeneland stakes score with the unexpected victory. "She always wins at long odds. She's a champ to me."
Coming in off a runner-up finish in a March 19 allowance optional claimer at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Change of Control kicked into gear at the top of the lane and accelerated past Into Mystic, who had taken the lead around the final turn in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.
"Top of the lane I tipped her out, let her switch leads, and she just went on," said jockey Colby Hernandez, who also won the first Keeneland stakes race of his career. "When she switched over to her right lead, she ran on; she really kicked on."
Elle Z took the lead early on in the Giant's Causeway, posting fractions of :23 and :46.97 while Jakarta tracked to her outside and Into Mystic took the rail trip. Change of Control was fifth early but shifted out to the five path around the far turn to begin the strong rally that carried her to victory. Five-eighths went in :58.46 as Change of Control cut into the advantage of Into Mystic, who had drawn off to a clear lead but came under Change of Control's driving pressure and was worn down by that foe inside the final sixteenth.
The final time was 1:04.48 on a yielding course.
Change of Control bested Into Mystic by one length, with a gap of 4 1/2 lengths back to Jakarta in third. The order of finish was completed by In Good Spirits, Fashionable Lady, Elle Z, and Oooh Barracuda. Dixieincandyland and Karak were scratched. A Bit of Both was a late scratch after dropping jockey Tyler Gaffalione in the post parade and running loose before she was apprehended by the outrider.
It was the first trip to the winner's circle for Change of Control since June of 2020, when she took an allowance race at Churchill Downs. She returned $19.80 on a $2 win ticket with the second stakes victory of her career. She won the Mamzelle Overnight Stakes, a black-type affair at Churchill Downs, in June 2019.
Bred in Kentucky by John O'Meara out of the Quiet American mare America's Blossom, Change of Control is the second of five foals out of her dam, who has produced three winners from four starters. The mare's latest foal is a Karakontie yearling, and she was bred back to the Gainesway stallion for 2021. She also has an unraced Midshipman 2-year-old colt named Give It All Yougot.
Change of Control was a $95,000 purchase by de Meric Stables from Kaizen Stables' consignment to the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales October Yearling Sale. She was initially purchased by Maharg Management for $27,000 as a weanling from Vinery Sales' consignment to the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. With the Giant's Causeway score, she improved her record to 6-5-5 from 25 starts, with earnings of $413,939.
Of her milestone victory, Lovell added, "It's really special to get it at Keeneland and it's really special to get it with this filly. She's been really the most honest horse, and she ran so great today."
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