BY BROCK SHERIDAN
MARCH 21, 2015—Making her first start in nearly four months, Joseph V. Shields Jr.’s homebred Classic Point increased her stakes-winning streak to three when she held off fellow Florida-bred You Bought Her to win the Grade 2, $200,000 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park. With Paco Lopez in the irons for trainer James Jerkens, Classic Point was the best of an accomplished field six fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older in the seven-furlong contest.
Miller Racing’s Best Behavior, a winner of the $108,900 Claiming Crown Glass Slipper at Gulfstream the previous December, raced through a :22.05 first quarter alongside odds-on favorite Merry Meadow, a winner of her last three stakes including the Sugar Swirl (G3) and Hurricane Bertie (G3) at Gulfstream. John Velazquez and Sweet Whiskey also pressed the pace from between horses while Classic Point stayed within striking distance behind the top three. Sweet Whiskey took over around the turn as Classic Point went four-wide to get within a length at the quarter-mile marker. Classic Point drew even with Sweet Whiskey with a furlong to run as You Bought Her started coming on with her late run.
Classic Point held on to win by a neck in 1:24.47 on the fast track, as You Bought Her was forced to settle for second, a half-length ahead of Sweet Whiskey in third.
Classic Point paid $10.80 to win and the Florida-bred exacta returned $115.20 on a $2 ticket.
Unraced as a 2-year-old and a winner of the just one race at 3, Classic Point blossomed at age 4 in 2014, becoming multiple graded stakes-placed and starting her win streak by taking her first added-money contest in October. She won the $98,000 Pumpkin Pie at Belmont Park by six-and-a-quarter lengths—a race in which she was been second the previous year. She then won the Grade 3 Go for Wand at Aqueduct in November before Jerkens and Shields gave her a winter break.
Classic Point was sharp off the rest but needed another six months before returning to finish fifth in her next three races, all in stakes in New York, to end her career. Classic Point retired with eight wins, four seconds and a third from 34 starts and earnings of $685,794.
By Flatter out of the unplaced Langfuhr mare Discerning, Classic Point produced a colt and filly with Super Saver, neither of which started. Classic Point sold in foal to Distorted Humor to Catherine Parks as an agent for Marc Keller for $370,000 at the 2019 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale but the resulting foal, a filly, also never made it to the track. However, her next three foals were all winners as geldings with Equibase Speed Figures in the 90s. Venge, by Gun Runner, earned $156,885; Glint, by Street Sense, earned $155,163 and Barb, by Candy Ride (Arg), banked $108,752.
Classic Point was a half-sister to Astute, by Speightstown, winner of the 2020 Desi Arnaz at Del Mar; and the 2022 Angels Flight at Santa Anita.
Discerning was a half-sister to Any Limit, winner of the 2007 First Lady (G3) and 2007 and 2009 Hurricane Bertie (G3) Handicaps at Gulfstream Park, 2008 First Flight Handicap at Belmont Park and 2008 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga. Interestingly, Any Limit was second to Game Face in the 2009 Inside Information.
Return to the March 21 issue of Wire to Wire
