Oaklawn: Asternia leads Morse exacta in Purple Martin

It was a Randy Morse exacta Saturday when the trainer saddled the 1-2 finishers in the $200,000 Purple Martin Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters at Oaklawn.

Asternia, ridden by Emmanuel Esquivel, finished 5 1/4 lengths ahead of stablemate Blue Squall with Xtreme Smoke Show another 1 1/4 lengths farther back in third.

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The Purple Martin was the first career stakes victory for Asternia, a daughter of Astern who is owned by Morse, Randy Patterson and Sam Vogel. She was exiting a runner-up finish, beaten by three-quarters of a length by Xtreme Diva in a first-level allowance sprint Feb. 2 at Oaklawn.

Xtreme Diva returned to win $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes on Feb. 17 at Oaklawn, beating Blue Squall by a nose in the six-furlong race.

Neither Xtreme Diva, the 2-1 Purple Martin favorite, nor Blue Squall threatened Asternia ($9) in the Purple Martin. Asternia, who seized command turning for home, completed six furlongs over a fast track in 1:10.51.

Tx Women for Arts, Xtreme Diva and Brooklynn Drew, the early leader, completed the order of finish.

Asternia won for the second time in seven starts to raise her career earnings to $269,985.