Constellation dominated her foes in Sunday’s $100,000 Ruthless S. at Aqueduct by a whopping 10 lengths to give the WinStar-bred 3-year-old filly her second straight commanding stakes victory.
The daughter of Bellamy Road got token pressure in the first quarter mile, but pulled away in had under Irad Ortiz, Jr. to stop the timer in 1:10.89 for the six furlongs, earning lifetime-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure.
“The pressure’s on when you’re the favorite, [so] it’s a relief and, of course, I’m happy for [Constellation],” said Toby Sheets, trainer Steve Asmussen’s New York-based assistant. “She’s such a nice filly. She’s very straightforward. She thinks she is the boss and we let her be the boss.”
Constellation, who placed in both the Spinaway S. (G1) and Matron S. (G2) at two, is now 3-1-1 in five starts and has banked $274,800 for LNJ Foxwoods.
WinStar bred Constellation in Kentucky for the stakes-winning mare For Royalty, a sister to multiple Grade 1 winner and champion El Viento.
At the OBS March 2015 sale of 2-year-olds, WinStar sold Constellation for $800,000 to the team of Solis and Litt; the price was the second-highest paid for a filly at the auction. The price also was the fifth-most paid for a 2-year-old filly at auction in 2015.
