Stormy Dixie Sets Monmouth Turf Record

Richard Santulli’s Stormy Dixie pushed past pacesetter Marquet Madness to post a neck win in the $60,000 Politely Stakes, stepping the mile and a sixteenth over firm turf in 1:39.74, a new course record.

Trained by Alan Goldberg, Stormy Dixie returned $12, $6.80 and 4.60 across the board.  Nefertiti rallied to complete the $271.40 exacta and paid $19.40 and $12.40.  Marquet Madness, who set quick early fractions, was nearly a length back in third, good for an $11.60 show mutuel.

“They outran us pretty quickly and I just wanted to take a hold of her and save as much ground as possible,” said winning jockey Chuck C. Lopez.  “In the stretch, I knew I was going to catch them, I just didn’t want to run out of racetrack.”

The Politely win was the second this season and fourth lifetime for Stormy Dixie, a 5-year-old mare by Stormy Atlantic from the Wild Event mare Dixieland Event.  She has now earned $197,540 for her connections.

The previous course record for a mile and a sixteenth at Monmouth with the portable rail set out 36 feet was established by My Princess Jess on June 28, 2008, when that 3-year-old filly went 1:39.81.