Shenandoah Queen shocks Faithfully in Tranquility Lake

Hronis Racing’s Shenandoah Queen, lightly-regarded at 20-1 despite the presence in the saddle of recently-inducted Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza, held off the belated challenge of odds-on favored Faithfully to win the featured $78,545 Tranquility Lake Stakes for older fillies and mares Friday.

Hustled from the gate by Espinoza to take a prominent position in the early stages of the one-mile contest on the main dirt track, Shenandoah Queen overhauled pacesetting Street Surrender turning for home and then gamely responded when confronted by Faithfully, the 3-5 betting choice, to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:36.30.

Faithfully, who was piloted by Rafael Bejarano, was five and three-quarter lengths of third-place Motown Lady, with Street Surrender fading to fourth in the field of six. Withdrawn were Chalon and Mended.

Shenandoah Queen, a five-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes trained by John Sadler, returned $42.20, $9.20 and $3.80 after her fifth win in eleven starts. First money of $46,920 boosted her career earnings to $111,300. Faithfully paid $2.60 and $2.10, while Motown Lady returned $2.60 to show.

Del Mar’s Saturday Pick Six will start with a $119,471 carryover incentive after no one was able to tab six winners on the Friday card at the seaside oval. In addition, the Single Ticket Jackpot pool – available to anyone who has a lone ticket on the multi-race wager – now has risen to $170,623 besides.

There were a pair of socco-boffo longshots Friday that all but ensured the carryover, keyed by the maiden Ferguson winning the one-mile 5th Race and paying off at an even $70.

The six-race bet unfolded Friday afternoon like this:

Race 3 -- #6 Ayacara ($17.40); Race 4 -- #5 Rye Patch ($4.80); Race 5 -- #9 Ferguson ($70.00); Race 6 -- #3 Unapologetic ($6.60); Race 7 -- #1 (Shenandoah Queen ($42.20); and Race 8 – #9 Boss Move ($5.20).