By definition, Cavorting means to “jump or dance around excitedly” and after Saturday’s Ogden Phipps (GI) at Belmont Park there’s little doubt a lot of that was going on in the Kiran McLaughlin barn after the Stonestreet Stables-owned daughter of Bernardini captured the 47th running of the 1 1/16-mile race by 2 1/2 lengths after rallying from the very back in the early going.
Ridden by jockey Florent Geroux for the first time, Cavorting completed the distance in 1:40.14.
Cavorting was the public’s near 9-2 fourth choice in the field of seven and paid $10.60, $5.50 and $4.10. Forever Unbridled, who had a fairly troubled trip from the get-go and, after rallying from last, was stuck behind a wall of rivals unwilling to let her through at the top of the stretch, rallied when clear to finish second at nearly 7-2, returning $4.90 and $3.50. Carrumba, at 10-1, was another half-length back in third and was good for $5.20.
Curalina, the 9-5 post time favorite, was fourth and was followed by Sheer Drama, Stopchargingmaria and Desert Valley.
Cavorting, who has now earned $1,663,000 thanks to the $535,000 winner’s share of the Ogden Phipps pot, won her seventh race in 12 career starts. The four-year-old Kentucky-bred filly won last year’s Prioress Stakes (GI) ant Test Stakes (GI) and won this year’s Ruffian Handicap (GII) in her most recent start.