MASTERY’s Surprisingly took her record to three wins from four starts on Saturday with a 3 ¼ length romp at Ellis Park.
Racing over 1 1/16 miles on the turf, Surprisingly was the back marker in the early running before running head-to-head with the horse just in front of her. When the running got serious, Surprisingly showed why she has won nearly all her starts when starting to pick up other horses.
The 3-year-old was given an opening to pass the leader in the final eighth and coasted by under an easy ride. She continued to pull away under her own power in the closing stages with FIRST SAMURAI’s Roughly a Diamond closing late for second.
The Phipps Stable homebred is conditioned by Shug McGaughey, who also trained two of her first three dams.
A fourth generation homebred, Surprisingly hails from the maternal line of Our Country Place through that one’s daughter Matalacha Pass. Matalacha Pass turned into a Grade 1 producer just like her dam with her foals including Grade 1 winners Point of Entry and Pine Island.
Surprisingly’s own dam is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Great Island.