Explosive Beauty Takes Dixie Belle
West -- The 1-2 finishers in
December's Hollywood Starlet (GI) -- J. Paul Reddam's Elloluv and Robert
and Beverly Lewis' Composure -- are headed toward a rematch in Sunday's
$200,000 Las Virgenes (GI) at Santa Anita, the first Grade I race of the
year for 3-year-old fillies.
Elloluv, trained by Craig Dollase, won at odds of 30-1 when she
stunned 1-5 favorite Composure in a four-length Starlet victory.
The Bob Baffert-trained Composure, a daughter of Touch Gold, ran
a strong second to eventual juvenile filly champion Storm Flag Flying in
the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) prior to her loss to Elloluv.
She won the Oak Leaf (GII) at Santa Anita earlier in her 2-year-old
campaign.
California invader and heavy favorite Harbor Blues romped to an
easy 11 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $75,000 Arizona Oaks at Turf
Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz. Stablemate Island Fashion, making her
career debut, was fourth.
Everest Stable's daughter of Petionville, who finished fourth to
Atlantic Ocean in her previous start in Santa Anita's
Santa Ysabel (GIII), was ridden by Iggy Puglisi and is trained by Nick
Canani. Myofficewife edged Arch Lady for second.
Southeast -- It was a busy
weekend in the 3-year-old filly division at Florida's Gulfstream Park,
where House Party rallied in the stretch on Sunday to win the $100,000
Old Hat Stakes on the main track and Max Hugel's Gal O Gal used a late
charge to win Saturday's $100,000 Herecomesthebride (G3) on the grass.
House Party, owned by Joseph V. Shields Jr. and trained by Hall
of Fame legend Allen Jerkens, rallied from last in the field of five in
the six-furlong Old Hat to win under jockey Jose Santos. The Todd
Pletcher-trained Chimichurri, the even-money favorite, was second.
The Herecomesthebride victory continued the Cinderella-like
ascent of Gal O Gal, whose first win came last summer in an $18,500
claiming race at Virginia's Colonial Downs. The Vinnie Blengs-trainee
rallied along the hedge under jockey Chris DeCarlo to win the 1
1/16-mile race over Formal Miss and Devil At The Wire. Favored
Sweetrickydancer was last of eight.
Central -- Trainer
Cole Norman got off to a quick start on the weather-delayed opening
weekend of the Oaklawn Park meet as Explosive Beauty romped to a 6
1/2-length win over Hannah's Royalrock to win the $50,000 Dixie Belle
Handicap.
The winner, part of a favored entry, covered six furlongs in a
quick 1:10.40 under jockey Jamie Theriot.
East -- The Bayard Sharp Trust's
Boxer Girl easily turned back a challenge from the heavily favored
Coquettish and drew off to win Saturday's $60,000 Jameela Stakes for
Maryland-bred 3-year-old fillies at Laurel Park. Wonderous Woman
rallied to nip the favorite for second in the seven furlong race.
Boxer Girl, trained by Michael Zweisler and ridden by Oliver
Castillo, has won three consecutive races. Sharp, a fixture in the
racing industry for 60 years, died last year at the age of 89. Sharp's
farm and stable is now guided by the family of son-in-law William S.
Farish, the U.S. Ambassador to Britain and owner of Kentucky's Lane's
End Farm.
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