Ritzaphena, the first winner for Lexitonian , is now the freshman sire's initial stakes winner. Following up a two-turn turf victory July 13 at Lone Star Park on debut, the 2-year-old filly improved to 2-for-2 in capturing the $109,770 Prairie Meadows Debutante Stakes Aug. 15.
A cutback in distance to six furlongs and a shift to dirt proved no problem for Sandeep Patel's Ritzaphena, who rated in fifth under Elvin Gonzalez before rallying to a 1 1/4-length victory over Lady Captain on a fast track at Prairie Meadows. The Jayde Gelner trainee finished in 1:12.39 and paid $26.20 to win.
Bred in Kentucky by Brandywine Farm, Ritzaphena is out of the Desert Party mare Ritz and Glitz. She was purchased for $75,000 by Scott Gelner from the SGV Thoroughbreds consignment in April's Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
A Calumet homebred who stood at the Lexington farm this season for a fee of $7,500, Lexitonian was a graded winner at ages 3 and 5. The son of champion sprinter Speightstown took the 2019 Chick Lang Stakes (G3) and later added the 2021 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. He also picked up top-level stakes placings in the 2021 Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) and 2020 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1).
Lexitonian posted a 5-2-2 record from 21 starts and earned $718,682.
Besides Ritzaphena, his other leading money-earning juveniles from his first crop include the placed maidens Inordinary and Fire and Wine.
