Kentucky-bred Scottish Lassie broke her maiden and punched her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup with a decisive victory in the $400,000 Frizette Stakes (G1) at Belmont at the Big A on Saturday, Oct. 5. Since the Frizette is a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Scotting Lassie earned a berth in the starting gate with her dominating win.
In making just her second lifetime start, Scottish Lassie tracked the pace from third down the backstretch. She ranged up to the leaders in the three-path on the far turn and took over in upper stretch. Under Jose Lezcano, Scottish Lassie kicked clear in the lane proved much the best, winning by nine lengths at the finish.
“The last work and every work I do is easy. She goes fast,” said Lezcano. “She does it the right way, not rank or anything like that. It looked like she settled perfect. The longer she goes, the faster she can go. She finished fantastic today.”
Owned by Sportsmen Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Photos Finish LLC, Corms Racing Stable and trainer Jorge Abreu, Scottish Lassie gave Abreu his first graded win as a trainer.
High Expectations from the Start
“I was expecting a good race today,” Abreu said. “I know people didn’t believe—not in her, in me—because this is the first I’ve ever won a graded stakes. You need the quality to win those kinds of races, I thought I had the horse.
“I had really high expectations of this filly since day one,” he added. “I expected her to run a good race today because Jose was breezing her and she was breezing very good all along. But I didn’t know she was going to win by this margin.”
By McKinzie, Scottish Lassie is out of the winning Bodemeister mare Bodebabe. She was bred in Kentucky by Winchester Farm and was an $85,000 graduate of this year’s OBS March Sale where she was consigned by Gene Recio. Scottish Lassie is now a winner in 1-of-2 starts and has banked $232,000.
Next up for Scottish Lassie will be the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. “I hope so, Abreu said. “Let’s see how she comes out of it. That’s what we’re aiming for.”