Dorth Vader stuns Davona Dale; Shidabhuti rallies in Busher

A Florida homebred for John Ropes, Dorth Vader was overlooked in the wake of a well-beaten sixth in the Gasparilla S. in her latest at Tampa Bay Downs. But the Michael Yates trainee had been the 7-5 favorite that day. She was also among the leading fancies in her two prior starts, both stakes wins in Gulfstream Park’s Juvenile Fillies Sprint for state-breds and the Dec. 3 Sandpiper S. at Tampa. 

Although Dorth Vader faced questions on the class and distance hike in the Davona Dale, she ended up handling the race flow much better than the favorites. Hitherto unbeaten Red Carpet Ready, the 1.10-1 favorite, flashed speed on the inside, while returning Grade 1 heroine Leave No Trace also hustled to the front from her outside post. Red Carpet Ready had to work harder to take command through a fast pace, and that effort told.

Dorth Vader, among the early trackers, advanced into second leaving the backstretch. Leave No Trace by that point had dropped out of contention, and the other stalker, well-backed Undervalued Asset, was unable to keep up with the top two. 

Red Carpet Ready was still in the lead in upper stretch, but Dorth Vader was looming ominously to challenge. Under Miguel Vasquez, the daughter of Girvin overpowered the favorite by 4 3/4 lengths, finished the one-turn mile in 1:37.23, and earned 50 points toward the Kentucky Oaks. 

Last-out maiden winner Guns n’ Graces stormed from last to grab second, worth 20 Oaks points. Red Carpet Ready sustained her first loss in third, adding 15 points for a total of 35. Next came the fourth and fifth, Infinite Diamond (10 points) and Lynx (five points); Positano Sunset; Undervalued Asset; and the eased Leave No Trace. Atomically and Adeliese’s Smile were scratched.

Dorth Vader’s resume now reads 7-4-0-1, $327,508, including a distant third in the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl division of the Florida Sire S. Her Davona Dale performance suggests she’s worth another try over a route. Out of the stakes-placed Yonaguska mare Hardcore Candy, she descends from Grade 2 heroine Queen of Song, who is also the ancestress of promoted 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mandaloun.

Peter Brant’s Shidabhuti wasn’t as well backed in the Busher as her stablemate from the Chad Brown barn, 0.95-1 favorite Asset Purchase, but she finished strongly to overhaul her late at a muddy Aqueduct. 

The 5.30-1 fourth choice, Shidabhuti had won both prior starts in off-the-pace fashion, a Monmouth Park maiden last September and a Jan. 26 allowance over this same track and one-mile distance. 

Jockey Dylan Davis engineered a trip from a bit closer than last time, settling her nearby as Ziaerati and Asset Purchase vied early. Asset Purchase looked to make the winning move when she opened up into the stretch, only to have her stablemate bearing down on her.

Shidabhuti was a bit outpaced on the turn, but gathered momentum the further they went down the lane. Driving two lengths clear, the daughter of Practical Joke completed the mile in 1:39.03 and returned $12.60. This successful stakes debut advanced her record to 3-for-3, with $189,600 in earnings, and 50 Oaks points.

Asset Purchase rounded out the Brown exacta, picking up 20 points, and Capella stayed on to take 15 points in third. Ziaerati tired to fourth (10 points), followed by La Vita Sofia (five points) and Check Engine Light.

Bred by Gabriel Duignan and the late Gerry Dilger in Kentucky, Shidabhuti sold to her current connections for $310,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Her dam, the Candy Ride mare A. P. Candy, is herself out of a full sister to Grade 1-winning sire Majestic Warrior.