Bolivie and Speirling Beag battled in out in the stretch with Bolivie prevailing by a nose at the wire to claim victory in the $100,000 Searching Stakes at Laurel Park on Sunday, 13 August.
The Laurel Park win was not only the first North American victory for the three-year-old Exceed And Excel filly but was also her first Stakes win. Bolivie was making just her third U.S. start in the Searching Stakes.
Bolivie broke a step slowly out of the gate and was settled at the rear of the field early while racing well off the inside rail. The chestnut filly began edging closer near the five-sixteenths pole before swinging five-wide at the top of the stretch. Put under a stout drive by jockey Feargal Lynch, Bolivie responded, digging deep to eventually prevail by a nose over Speirling Beag.
Bred in Ireland by Kildaragh Stud, Bolivie is out of Burma Sun, a winning daughter of Rip Van Winkle. Burma Sun is a half sister to Champion Burma Gold, and hails from the immediate family of Champions and G1 winners Borgia, Boreal, Britannia and Angel Power.
Exceed And Excel has sired over 200 career Stakes winners including 107 that have won at Group level. They include outstanding performers Bivouac, Microphone and Overreach in Australia plus Mawj, the winner of the G1 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket this year.
