Flameaway’s Dreamway sprints to victory in Monmouth’s Colleen

COLLEEN S.$102,000, Monmouth, 7-28, 2 years, f, 5 vT, :55.64, vm.
1–DREAMAWAY, 118, f, 2, by Flameaway
1st checker: Dream Dancing (GISW, $483,271), by Tapit
2nd Dam: To Dream About, by Monarchos
3rd Dam: Beautiful Pleasure, by Maudlin
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-John C. Oxley (KY); T-Wesley A.
Ward; J-Paco Lopez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$107,740.
2–Lemon Peppaste118, f, 2, Caravaggio-Saranda, by
Smart attack. ($65,000 2-year-old ’24 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-Julian De Mora, Jr.; B-New Horizons Bloodstock LLC (KY);
T-Jorge Delgado. $20,000.
3–I Governor118, f, 2, The Factor–Mocha Chip, by Trappe
Shot. ($42,000 Ylg ’23 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Danbro
Farms, LLC; B-Mr. & Mrs. Mike Buckley & William Van Meter
(KY); T-Carlos A. David. $10,000.
Margins: 5 1/4, NK, HD. Odds: 0.80, 3.20, 12.60.
Also Ran: Popstyle, Roshiell My Belle, Hollywood Beauty, Kip the Distance. Scratched: Baytown Butterfly, Sharedashenanigans, Shkhara Fire, Spankerboom.
Dreamaway returned from a debut win on the main track at Keeneland in April to remain undefeated with an impressive score in the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth on Sunday.
The 4-5 choice was sent packing while trying the turf for the first time, the gray sweeping to the front, carving out an opening quarter mile in :22.03 as Popstyle (Win Win Win) and Me Governor pressed from the outside. Shaking loose on the turn for home, the 3-1 second choice Lemonpeppasteppa rallied to second but was unable to catch the free-running winner, 5 1/4 lengths clear of her nearest rivals. Me Governor held on for third.
“I wasn’t worried about the (different) speed,” said winning rider Paco Lopez. “There was a little bit of pressure on the turn with (Popstyle). I didn’t feel the pressure anymore, so I went in. The first part was easy, but the second part had a little bit of pressure, but she went really well.”
Winning trainer Wesley Ward was also impressed by his mare’s performance.
“Apart from being a very talented mare, she’s also a sweetheart. That’s what we like most about her,” he said. “They sent her to me in September and we trained her and she’s one of those mares in the stable that bucks and kicks and is happy all day long. She’s never stopped being that way. Anyone can ride her. She’s the happiest horse in the world when she comes out on the track. I always thought she would be better on the grass, just the way she moves.”
She was the heavy favorite at 1-2 when she took on colts in her debut on April 21 at Lexington. She fought most of the race but ultimately won by a head over Clever Again.
“Actually, her first race was better for me than this one and I’ll tell you why: she’s a tiger when she gets to the front, like she did today,” Ward added. “Sometimes when she gets behind, she doesn’t work so well. When she gets to the front, she’s a devil. She doesn’t let anyone get past her. She’s in the group, or even better than the other six winners I’ve had in this race, especially with the way she went today.”
Ward offered his thoughts on what will happen next with the speedy gray: “We’re thinking about sending her to California for the Speakeasy Stakes (Oct. 5 at Santa Anita). We’ve been looking forward to getting one and this might be the one we can settle on. Based on how she went today, she’s Breeders’ Cup caliber. That race will determine whether or not she’s a Breeders’ Cup horse.”
The sixth black type winner for his Freshman sire, Dreamaway is out of GI Del Mar Oaks Dream Dancing, herself a daughter of Champion Older Mare Beautiful Pleasure (Maudlin). An earner of over $2.7 million, the sister of Grade I winner Mecke was also used by the Oxleys. In addition to Dreamaway, Dream Dancing also has a year-old mare by Gun Runner named Beautiful Dancer, as well as a yearling filly by the Three Chimneys sire and a colt by Justify. She was backbred to Flameaway.
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