Grade 2 success for game Kodiac filly Pipsy

Kodiac filly Pipsy added further to her accomplished record on Thursday when capturing the Grade 2 Intercontinental Stakes at Saratoga, the first Graded stakes of the New York summer season.

Now a four-year-old, Pipsy joined Will Walden's barn for Woodford Thoroughbreds when purchased at Tattersalls for 700,000gns ahead of her three-year-old campaign. She had won the Listed Legacy Stakes at Dundalk for Ger Lyons and immediately hit the ground running in the US by taking the Grade 3 Soaring Softly Stakes at the Big A. She most recently landed an allowance at Keeneland.

On Thursday, Pipsy showed great gate speed to set the pace and had enough in reserve to fend off the favourite Future Is Now.

"It wasn't the intended path [setting the pace], but what are you going to do, take it away from her?" said Will Walden "To accelerate, to go 21 and three, and then still come home the way she did, she is incredible.

"I think horses if you give them that break from three to four, they can stay the same or really take a jump forward, and we are just blessed that she has taken a jump forward."

About the GIII Caress Stakes at Saratoga being next, Walden said: "Yes, probably. We are going to keep her here over the summer. She trained well up here last summer. You get to breeze on the turf course here, which in Kentucky can be a little iffy. So we will keep her here and probably go to the Caress. We will see how she comes out of this and talk to the owners, but that is a likely spot."

Pipsy was bred by Noel Finegan out of the High Chaparral mare Experte.