BY BROCK SHERIDAN

JUNE 14, 2008—Sent to the post as the 1-2 favorite after winning the Grade 2 Louisville at Churchill Downs by three-and-three-quarters lengths on May 2, Florida-bred Ginger Punch cruised home to win the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps by nearly eight lengths at Belmont Park. With her regular rider Rafael Bejarano aboard for trainer Robert Frankel, Ginger Punch raced in third, two lengths off longshot Mistical Plan and Cowgirls Don’t Cry around the far turn before beginning to apply pressure while racing four-wide down the backstretch. She made a run at Mistical Plan with five-sixteenths of a mile to the finish, went to the front at the top of the stretch then drew off to win in 1:42.37. Golden Velvet was second with Mistical Plan holding on for third.

Owned by Frank Stronach’s Stronach Stables, Ginger Punch paid $3 to win.

 

It was the second of four consecutive graded stakes wins for Ginger Punch and was followed by two Grade 1 victories at Saratoga Race Course in the Go For Wand in July and the Personal Ensign in August. 

 

Unfortunately, the Personal Ensign was her last trip to the winner’s circle as she was next a half-length shy of Cocoa Beach (Chi) when second in the Grade 1 Beldame at Belmont Park in September. In the final start of her career, Ginger Punch finished sixth in $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) won by Zenyatta during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita on Oct. 24.

Ginger Punch retired with earnings of $3,065,603 while finishing first or second in 18 of 22 career starts, winning 12 with six seconds and two thirds. Ginger Punch was by Awesome Again out of Nappelon, by Bold Revenue and was bred in Florida by Adena Springs.

She was honored with an Eclipse Award as the 2007 Champion Older Female, the year she won the $2 million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) in the slop after bumping hard with rival Hystericalady at the eighth pole. In 2007, she also won the Grade 2 First Flight, Grade 1 Go For Wand and Grade 1 Ruffian. That year she was second to Florida-bred Take D’ Tour, who was winning her second Ogden Phipps; second to Mary Delaney in the Vinery Madison (G1) and third in Unbridled Belle’s Beldame (G1).

 

She was bred in 2009 to Bernardini then sold in foal for $1.6 million to Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm in Japan. She produced 11 foals, of which nine started with eight winners. Her best runner was Rouge Buck (Jpn), by Manhattan Café (Jpn). Bred by Northern Farm and owned by U Carrot Farm, Rouge Buck was a multiple graded stakes winner of $3,097,529 in Japan.

Return to the June 14 issue of Wire to Wire