Avie's Tale Handles Fair Grounds Slop

Ivan Dalos’s Avie’s Tale, void of early foot, launched a bold bid when set down for the drive and drew off in the final furlong for a 3 1/4-length win in Saturday’s $60,000 Blushing K. D. Handicap – the New Year’s Day filly and mare feature at Fair Grounds.

“You can’t make her do anything,” said winning trainer Josie Carroll of Avie’s Tale’s unhurried beginning in the 1 1/16-mile test taken off the grass and run over a sloppy main track. “She does what she wants, but she’s taken to this racetrack since she got here and the owner and I both thought this would be an excellent spot for her.”

Ridden by Rosie Napravnik, Avie’s Tale accomplished the distance in 1:46.81, increased her career earnings to $195,949 with her fifth career victory in 26 lifetime starts and returned mutuels of $15.20, $6.40 and $4.60.

“I liked her when I breezed her and I thought I got along real well with her,” said jockey Napravnik. “As soon as I asked her to go today, she did.” 

Lothenbach Stables’ Single Solution, also without speed, rallied outside the leaders when set down for the drive, could not match the winner but gained the place by a neck over Last Call Racing Partnership’s Mizzcan’tbewrong. That one alternated for the early lead with Mike Rutherford and Terry Green’s High Quail with early splits of 24.84 and 49.55, but High Quail tired to seventh in the stretch.

Single Solution paid $9.40 and $6, while Mizzcan’tbewrong returned $4.80 in the show position.