Classic Q Delivers Amazing Win in First Lady
By Eric Mitchell BloodHorse
Grade 1 action Oct. 3 on Fall Stars Saturday at Keeneland kicked off with a barn burner in the $758,750 First Lady Stakes (G1T) that Classic Q captured by a margin of inches to claim her second top-level win of the year.
The 1-mile turf contest’s 2-1 favorite Lush Lips , already a grade 1 winner at Keeneland, seemed a clear winner after rocketing through a gap along the rail at the top of the stretch. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione had the 4-year-old owned by Dixiana Farms running freely, but Classic Q, back in fourth in midstretch, was far from done.
Classic Q had been given a stalking trip by jockey John Velazquez, tracking in third throughout the early going. She followed pacesetter And One More Time🔥 , a Classic Q stablemate in trainer Mark Casse’s barn, and Segesta🔥 . And One More Time set early fractions of :23.37, :47.89, and 1:12.05.
When the running began in midstretch and Lush Lips had taken command, Classic Q answered the call with a late, driving kick she has rarely displayed in her previous races. Her wins this year have all followed front-running performances.
“She amazes me,” said Casse, who trains the filly for Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. “The last time she ran at Keeneland, she got left (at the gate) and was last, but she ended up running well and finishing second. Johnny got her relaxed and when he asked her go, he saw Lush Lips get loose on the inside. Maybe he said a bad word, but he was able to run her down, thank goodness.”
Bless the Broken finished third by three-quarters of length. The final time was 1:35.89 on the firm turf.
Gaffalione said he felt if Lush Lips had seen her competition sooner, she may have given a bit more at the end.
“The issue was the filly on the outside (Classic Q) was so far away,” he said. “It just took me a little bit to let me get my filly over there to go see her. She did everything we were expecting her to do. She fired a big one for us.”
Classic Q is now a three-time graded stakes winner this year with wins earlier in the Just a Game Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course and Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs.
The winner is a 4-year-old daughter of Classic Empire , the 2016 Eclipse champion 2-year-old male and 2017 Arkansas Derby (G1) winner who Casse trained for John Oxley. Winning Bloodstock bred Classic Q out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Lovely Em and sold her through Eaton Sales for $40,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The buyer is listed as Bobby D, but Casse said he bought the filly for his wife, Tina, and longtime owner Hugh Daily, who races as Blue Crevalle Racing.
After Classic Q became a winner in January of her 3-year-old year, the Casses sold their interest in the horse to other longtime owners Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
The filly has now compiled a 6-3-2 record from 17 starts and raised her career earnings to $1,962,615. This year alone she’s won three of six starts and placed in two other races, which have awarded her with more than $1.5 million in purses.