Never Retreat continues her winning ways in stakes record time
By Mike Porcaro
Midwest Thoroughbred
Fresh from a win on Sept. 18 in the Canadian Stakes at Woodbine, Never Retreat continued her winning ways with an impressive closing kick to take the Grade I, $350,000 First Lady Stakes on Oct. 8 at Keeneland. In the process, the six-year old Smart Strike mare from the Team Block stable won in stakes record time of 1:34.08 in the one-mile event on the turf after tracking down front-runner Wasted Tears before prevailing by 1-1/2 lengths. The previous stakes record was 1:34.14 set by the accomplished Gorella in 2006.
With hot Julien Leparoux in the irons, Never Retreat took a 3-wide path before driving home for the victory moving ahead of Together (IRE), a 3-year old making her U.S. debut for trainer Aiden O’Brien, and Daveron (GER), the place and show horses. Leparoux had four winners on the day and has guided Never Retreat to three wins in three starts. Never Retreat has now earned nearly $1.3 million in her career with 11 wins in 31 lifetime races.
Chris Block, trainer of Never Retreat, had a busy day as his Ioya Bigtime won an $80,000 O/C, also at Keeneland and with Leparoux riding. Block-trained Giant Oak was a 5th place finisher in the Hawthorne Gold Cup at Hawthorne Racecourse, also on Oct. 8.