Cherokee Queen takes Suwannee River

Cherokee Queen found the right trip under Alex Solis and used it to bag her first graded stakes victory, taking the Grade 3, $150,000 Suwannee River by two lengths Feb. 5 at Gulfstream Park.

Solis was aboard the 6-year-old mare for the first time in her 27th lifetime start and he gave her the perfect ride in the 1 1/18-mile turf contest. The daughter of Cherokee Run raced in tandem with Miss Blakely as they stalked pacesetter Persuading through honest splits. Once hitting the top of the lane Cherokee Queen took command and methodically pulled away for the score.

She hit the wire in 1:46.62 on the firm turf course, earning her eighth career victory. Never Retreat rallied well under Carlos Marquez Jr. to get second in a field of 10, a half-length in front of Persuading.

Cherokee Queen is owned by Farnsworth Stables and trained by Marty Wolfson. The dark bay/brown mare finished a close fourth in her season debut, the Jan. 9 Marshua's River (Grade 3). This win, which was her first in seven graded stakes tries, upped her lifetime earnings to $477,812.