Gemologist’s brilliant 2-year-old filly Yellow Agate powered past Libby’s Tail in deep stretch to win the $400,000 Frizette S. (G1) by a head, the first graded stakes winner for her sire.
With eight winners, all coming in maiden special weight races, and $576,796 in progeny earnings to date, Gemologist ranks third on the 2016 First-Crop Sire list.
In a compact field of six, Yellow Agate settled in fifth for the first half-mile, just a couple lengths off the lead of Libby’s Tail. Three-wide around the turn, Yellow Agate worked her way up into second at the top of the stretch.
Libby’s Tail held on stubbornly until the final few strides, when Yellow Agate forged to the front to win the one-mile event in 1:35.82 on a fast track.
“I think today was a major jump going from a maiden win to a Grade 1 win,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “She’s always been nice from the beginning but It was a great ride by Manny (Franco). He never panicked and came from off the pace. The filly was comfortable, he waited and took her wide giving her a chance. She then went to take on that horse on the lead. I think it was a very mature ride from Manny.”
“Where do we go next?” Clement said rhetorically. “First, let’s enjoy this for a day or two. I’m aware of the Breeders’ Cup. I’m also aware of other things. I’ll have to speak to my owner about the next step but let’s just see how she comes out of this race and go from there.”
Bred in Kentucky by Marablue Farm, Yellow Agate was a $70,000 weanling purchase at Keeneland November in 2014, then re-sold for $210,000 as a yearling at the 2015 Keeneland September sale, where she was purchased by her owner China Horse Club.
Yellow Agate has now won both her starts and has earned $285,000.
