By Ray Cotolo, for The Red Mile
LEXINGTON, KY— Darlinonthebeach led her
season-long competitor and the 4-5 favorite Pure Country to win the first of
two divisions of the $147,000 Bluegrass for three-year-old pacing fillies as
the 2-1 second choice in 1:50.2 on Sunday, October 2 at The Red Mile.
Unchallenged through a quarter in :28 and a half
in :56, Darlinonthebeach set the pace. Pure Country, sitting in the pocket,
didn’t pull to the outside until three-quarters, timed in 1:24.1. She struggled
to pass Darlinonthebeach racing to the pylons while Lindwood Beachgirl chased
the two in third and Penpal towards the center of the track in fourth. Pure
Country settled for second as Darlinonthebeach finished in front. Penpal edged
by Lindwood Beachgirl to take third.
Darlinonthebeach, by Somebeachsomewhere out of
the Bettor’s Delight mare Darlin’s Delight, won her 11th race in 27 starts,
compiling $776,823 in earnings for owner White Birch Farm. She is trained by
Nancy Johansson and driven by David Miller. She paid $6.00 to win.
“These two fillies have been going at it all
summer,” David Miller said. “It’s been a good season for her.”
“[Darlinonthebeach’s connections] told me that
she tied up that day,” Miller said of Darlinonthebeach’s scratch from the
second heat of the Jugette. “They added Lasix today and she couldn’t have been
any better.”
Clearing command into the first turn, Blue Moon
Stride held the front to win the other Bluegrass split in 1:50.1 over Rock Me
Baby and Kiss Me Onthebeach.
Leading through a quarter of :26.4, Blue Moon Stride
tried to slow the pace, but Call Me Queen Be, sitting the pocket, pulled to the
outside to try and take the lead. Blue Moon Stride accelerated and Call Me
Queen Be ducked behind her through a :55.2 half.
Kiss Me Onthebeach edged first over from third
into the far turn with Rock Me Baby on her back. Call Me Queen Be was locked in
the pocket through a 1:23 third quarter. Driver Andrew McCarthy kept Blue Moon
Stride towards the pylons, leaving Call Me Queen Be with nowhere to pace. Rock
Me Baby fanned off her cover and attempted to sweep to the lead, but Blue Moon
Stride maintained the lead through the wire.
Owned by Emilio & Maria Rosati, Blue Moon
Stride, by Rocknroll Hanover out of the Cam’s Card Shark mare Classic Star, won
her tenth race in 26 starts, earning $658,886. The Mark Harder trainee paid
$7.40 to win.
“She’s a very nice filly; we’re very proud of
her,” Emilio Rosati said. “We came here especially to see her race. This is a
lovely place to come and it’s a dream to have a horse like this.”
“We’ll be back next week [for the Glen Garnsey
Memorial],” Mark Harder said.
