After leaving Australia as a maiden after three starts, the 6yo mare Oleksandra is now a Grade 1 winner in America after staging a last to first performance in the $250,000 Jaipur Stakes on the turf at Belmont on Saturday.
The former Bjorn Baker-trained daughter of Animal Kingdom (USA) placed in all three starts, at Hawkesbury, Randwick and Newcastle before her owner/breeder Team Valor sent her to Neil Drysdale in California.
Last season she staked a claim as one of the best females on turf with wins in the Grade III Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland and the Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga.
The lone female facing seven male rivals in the Jaipur Stakes, Oleksandra came from the tail of the field under Joel Rosario to defeat Kanthaka, a son of the former Spendthrift shuttler Jimmy Creed (USA), by a neck with Texas Wedge (Colonel John) one and a quarter length back in third.
It advances her record to an impressive 7 wins, 3 seconds and 3 thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $537,353
"She put up a great performance and did well in the end," Rosario told Blood-Horse. "She's an amazing horse."
The Jaipur Stakes is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and Oleksandra earned a paid, automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on November 7.
Animal Kingdom (Mark Smith)
A half-sister to two winners including the stakes-placed Hostwin Galaxy (Redoute’s Choice), Oleksandra is out of the top-class South African mare Alexandra Rose (Caesour) who won the Group II Greyville Golden Slipper and the Grade III Monrovia Handicap at Santa Anita and was runner-up in the Group 1 Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth.
Oleksandra carries the silks of her 2011 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Dubai World Cup winning sire Animal Kingdom (USA) who shuttled to Arrowfield Stud for five seasons and is now at stud in Japan.
His final Australian crop are yearlings and include at full-brother to Oleksandra who was catalogued for the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale but was withdrawn. He has already been named Prince Alexander.
Oleksandra becomes the second winner at the highest level for Animal Kingdom after the ATC Australian Derby hero Angel Of Truth.
