Ritzaphena Fights to Give Lexitonian His First Winner
Closing day at Lone Star Park July 13 brought an important milestone for Lexitonian as the grade 1 winner was represented by his first winner.
Making her career debut in a 7 1/2-furlong turf race, Ritzaphena found herself in good stalking position beneath jockey Floyd Wethey Jr. Taking the lead in the stretch, the 2-year-old filly was challenged but refused to relent. She battled hard to the wire to emerge a head victor in 1:31.18.
Bred in Kentucky by Jim and Pam Robinson’s Brandywine Farm, Ritzaphena was most recently purchased for $75,000 by Scott Gelner from the SGV Thoroughbreds consignment in April’s Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Jayde Gelner trains the filly for owner Sandeep Patel. Ritzaphena is out of the Desert Party mare Ritz and Glitz.
A Calumet homebred who stood at the Lexington farm this season for a fee of $7,500, Lexitonian was a winner in each of his four seasons on the track while facing the country’s best sprinters from coast to coast.
His greatest triumph came in his 5-year-old season, winning the 2021 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course in a field that included 2020 champion sprinter Whitmore . He also earned top-level placings in the 2020 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar and 2021 Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs. He also won the 2019 Chick Lang Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course and Concern Stakes at Laurel Park as a 3-year-old.
Overall, Lexitonian posted a 5-2-2 record from 21 starts for earnings of $718,682.
