Dixie Moon holds sway in Cup and Saucer
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Photo:
Michael Burns Photography
Dixie Moon, the only filly in a field of 12 Canadian-bred 2-year-olds for Sunday’s $225,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes, moved to the lead on the inside down the backstretch and cut out the rest of the pace en route to a one-length score.
Bet down to 7-5 favoritism in the late stages, Dixie Moon had to survive a bit of a late scare from 2-1 second choice Strike Me Down before holding sway to give rider Eurico Rosa da Silva his second stakes victory of the afternoon.
Da Silva, Dixie Moon’s rider in each of her three starts for trainer Catherine Day Phillips, had finished second aboard the filly in the one-Natalma Stakes, her turf debut here Sept. 17.
“She ran very well that day,” said DaSilva, “and it was too bad that in the last sixteenth of a mile she started really looking around and she got distracted a little bit and we got passed at the wire.
“She still ran a very good race and after the wire she jumped on the bit again. I was very impressed with that race. Once they go over the turf course she had more experience. She was very focused today. “
Redoute’s Light held a head lead over Dixie Moon as the quarter went by in :24.31 but the favorite assumed command shortly thereafter.
Pressed hard by Strike Me Down while maintaining a half-length lead through a half in :48.39 and three-quarters in 1:11.99, Dixie Moon kicked away in midstretch and led by two lengths with a furlong to run.
But Strike Me Down, a maiden whose only previous start had been a troubled third-place finish for trainer Graham Motion at Saratoga, did not back down and cut into the margin in the closing yards.
Rose’s Vision and Cooler Mike who had started from the 12 and 11 posts, respectively, both launched their bids around the final turn but were unable to seriously threaten the top two.
Rose’s Vision finished third, 2 ½ lengths behind Strike Me Down but a neck before Cooler Mike.
Rounding out the order of finish were Neepawa, Flight Deck, Stormfuhr, Crumlin Night, Differential, Absolution, Dot’s Vision and Redoute’s Light.
Dixie Moon, a homebred who races for Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry, had worked very well for her debut on Aug. 19 and was a convincing winner of that seven-furlong Tapeta race.
Then came the Natalma, an open Grade 1 race for 2-year-old fillies in which the victorious European invader Capla Temptress punched her “Win and You’re In” ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“We thought she enjoyed the turf and moved up on the turf and deserved another chance on it,” said Day Phillips. “This race just seemed to make sense.”
The winner paid $4.80, $2.70 and $2.80. She combined with Strike Me Down ($3.10, $2.80) for a 3-8 exacta worth $15.10. A $2 trifecta of 3-8-12 (Rose's Vision, $7.10) paid $135.90 and a $1 superfecta of 3-8-12-11 (Cooler Mike) returned $242.55.
-0-
Sister Nation rolls to victory in Ruling Angel
TORONTO, October 8 — Sister Nation, who had placed in four stakes but whose only win was a last-out maiden victory, closed strongly down the center of the track for a going-away 1 ½ length tally here in Sunday’s Ruling Angel Stakes.
The $100,000 Ruling Angel, a 6 ½-furlong overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies, attracted a field of six but was wide-open with five of the contestants going postward at less than 5-1.
Sister Nation was the longest of that group, at 4.65-1 and assumed a stalking position in fifth place under leading rider Eurico Rosa da Silva.
“She broke sharp and she wanted to go a little bit forward but I relaxed her and she was a very kind horse,” said Da Silva. “We got lucky and ended up in the right position and I just took her outside.”
Way to Versailles, bet down to 2-1 as the perceived speed field of the Ruling Angel party, showed the way by an open length through fractions of :23.32 and :45.75 with The Craic, Just Be Kind, and Tulsa Queen in close attendance.
The action heated up around the final turn with the three pace-pressers launching simultaneous bids and the race was up for grabs turning for home.
Way to Versailles held on grimly to lead by a head with the four fillies abreast as they reached six furlongs in 1:09.91.
But DaSilva had Sister Nation going best of all on the outside and she drew off to take the cake in a final time of 1:16.34.
“When we turned for home I had a lot of horse and I knew I was going to go by the horses because she was running very relaxed and just waiting for the green light,” said DaSilva.
Just Be Kind (3.30-1), four wide throughout, prevailed in the battle for the place, ending a neck before Tulsa Queen (3.55-1) with The Craic (3.70-1) another half-length back in fourth, just a head before Way to Versailles.
Patton’s Girl, the rank outsider at 52-1, trailed throughout.
Sister Nation was the first stakes winner of the season for Mike DePaulo, who conditions the Kentucky-bred for Mark Dodson.
The winner paid $11.30, $5.10 and $2.60. She combined with Just Be Kind ($4.40, $3) for a 3-6 exacta worth $38.30. A $2 trifecta of 3-6-5 (Tulsa Queen, $2.70) paid $117.20 and a $1 superfecta of 3-6-5-2 (The Craic) returned $113.85.
Source: Woodbine Communications Office
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