Dandyna Wins Fair Grounds Opener

Bluegrass Hall’s Dandyna got the first five-day week of the new Fair Grounds season off to a good start Thursday with a 1 3/4-length win in the first race of the afternoon. The grass test carried a purse of $45,000.

The winner, a daughter of Dynaformer, the sire of Barbaro, came from off the pace and completed the distance of about 1 1/16-mile over a Stall-Wilson turf course rated “good” in 1:49.50. She increased her career earnings to $47,327 with the initial win of her career after nine lifetime starts and returned mutuels of $6.80, $4, and $2.80 as the second choice in the wagering.

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. rode Dandyna, who is trained by longtime Fair Grounds-based trainer Neil Howard.

Liz Squyres’ Snow Kissed, who made the pace with splits of 26.19 and 53.48, could not stay with the winner late but was clearly second best while finishing a length to the good of Kiim and John Glenney’s Harrow Hill.

Runner-up Snow Kissed paid $9.80 and $5, while Harrow Hill returned $6.60.