NEWS
Injury dampens Dress Grey's dominating victory
Posted: Saturday, April 01, 2006
Seeing Dress Grey pull up lame following an 8 1/2-length win in the $65,000 Smart Halo stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park dampened the enthusiasm felt by owner-breeder Linda Newton.
Newton was understandably concerned after learning that Dress Grey fractured her left medial sesamoid in the race for three-year-old fillies, however the injury was not life threatening.
"Of course we're concerned now about the condition of the horse," Newton said. "We've very happy about the race and certainly enjoyed Maryland racing. It's been a good trip for us."
Dress Grey dueled with Citichurch early, eventually surging to the lead and continuing to distance herself from eight rivals after opening a 3 1/2-length lead at the quarter-pole in the six-furlong race. The daughter of Lion Hearted increased her advantage to six lengths in early stretch en route to an easy victory in 1:11.48 on a fast track.
"She just kept running," winning jockey Erick Rodriguez said. "She broke really well. I wanted to take a hold but she wanted to run. At the quarter-pole she took off."
Dress Grey easily turned back a determined effort by multiple stakes winner Ten Halos, who finished second. Summer Cruise finished another head back in third.
Graham Motion trains Dress Grey, a fourth-place finisher in the 2005 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Stakes. With her third win in six career starts, Dress Grey boosted her bankroll to $86,600.
Dress Grey is out of the Secret Hello mare Chemise.
In the $60,000 Snow Goose Stakes, Princess Pelona dictated the pace from the start and showed superiority in the stretch en route to a 3 1/4-length win. The daughter of El Prado (Ire) earned her second stakes victory after opening a two-length lead at the quarter-pole and turned back a late run from runner-up Dynamic Deputy en route to winning the one-mile race in 1:37.78.
Take a Check finished third, a neck behind Dynamic Deputy.
"I get along with this filly great," winning jockey Jose Caraballo said. "She rated well for me. She was nice and relaxed and I loved that. When I asked her I had a lot of horse left. She just ran and did the job."
"She ran huge," winning trainer Mike Trombetta said. "That was probably one of her best races. She's a tough mare who just loves to run."
L. Pope McLean's Princess Pelona closed out her 2005 campaign with a win in the Stefanita Stakes. Bred in Kentucky, Princess Pelona is one of three winners from four starters out of the unraced Carson City mare Peachtree City.
For Equibase charts, click here.
