Two weeks after saddling She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) to a victory in the GI QE II Challenge Cup–the premier race for 3-year-old fillies during the Keeneland Fall Meet–trainer Cherie DeVaux sent out Klein Racing’s Brilliant Berti (Noble Mission {GB}), the 3-1 second betting selection, and 44-1 outsider Depiction (More Than Ready) to a one-two finish in Saturday’s $600,000 GIII Bryan Station Stakes, the richest event on the calendar for the sophomore male set.
The duo caboosed the field through the early exchanges, Brilliant Berti leading Depiction, as My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) carved out slick early fractions of :22.49 and :44.95. The Canadian raider opened an imposing advantage approaching the stretch, but predictably began to weaken, setting things up for the swoopers. Having followed the move of favored Trikari (Oscar Performance) into the lane, Brilliant Berti was switched off heels, quickly descended on the leaders with about a furlong to travel and got home first as Depiction leveled off beautifully to miss by a head. The lightly raced Herchee (Twirling Candy) ran well to be third ahead of Evade (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in fourth.
“He’s shown us all year long what a talented horse he is,” said winning rider Brian Hernandez, Jr., who will call the shots aboard ‘TDN Rising Star’ Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in next weekend’s GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. “We’re just proud of him, especially for the Klein family (owner/breeder Klein Racing), for them to keep breeding these good horses like they do. It’s a proud moment for them. The only time I got nervous today was when we were in the Paddock and Richard (Klein) told me, ‘We’ve won stakes at Keeneland before but I’ve never gotten to come out in the infield for a winner circle picture,’ so I hoping like, ‘Man, I hope we can get it done for him today.’”…