7 August 2021
Photo scoopdyga.com
August 3, 2021, Deauville-La Touques Racecourse (Calvados). - A sister to the good performer Taos (Toronado), a yearling colt bought for € 155,000 and trained by Jean-Claude Rouget for US owner Martin Schwartz who won the 163rd Derby du Midi (L) before flying to the States, Penja (Camelot) was bound to please the trainer when she was sold at Deauville. He bought her for €90,000.
It is the family of Texalina and her sister Hexane, dam of Never on Sunday, who was also trained by Rouget, and more recently the Gr2 winner Frankyfourfingers.
Penja started her career at 2 with a 2nd place at Bordeaux in September, and she won next time out at Marseille-Borély over 9 furlongs. She also won for her come back at 3 at Deauville over 10 furlongs. She finished unplaced in the Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1) after that but came back in winning ways in June at Chantilly, winning easily a Class 1 race before this important test in the Prix de Psyché Sky Sports Racing (Gr3), which she won in the very last jump. After travelling in 4th position behind Mystery Angel (Kodi Bear) and The Blue Brilliant (Fastnet Rock), she managed to take a nose on the latter while the former stayed on in 3rd at a good length. Boxed in along the rail, the 4th-placed Harajuku (Deep Impact) would probably have challenged the first fillies home had she found the gap in due course.
Penja was bred by SCEA des Prairies, Benoît & Thomas Jeffroy. Her dam Just With You (Sunday Break), from whom Penja is the 3rd foal, was unraced. After Penja, she gave a Shalaa filly born in 2019, a Harry Angel colt last season, and a Wootton Bassett filly this season.