by Tim Nichols

The aptly-named Closeout collared nine horses in the final three furlongs to score a half-length win in the Pucker Up Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Arlington Park.

Glen Hill Farm’s homebred Repriced filly earned her first graded stakes win by completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.22 on turf rated as soft. Pacesetter and 2.80-to-1 favorite Lucky Copy finished second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Clear Pond.

“The distance was a big plus,” said Closeout’s jockey Jamie Theriot. “The further she goes, the better she’s going to be.”

Lucky Copy broke fast and led through a quarter-mile in :23.95. She extended her lead to four lengths following a half-mile in :48.05 while Theriot reserved Closeout 16 lengths off the lead in tenth position.

Lucky Copy opened up a seemingly insurmountable six-length lead in early stretch as Closeout made a sweeping move to rally from tenth on the turn to third near the eighth pole.

Lucky Copy tired in the final sixteenth as Closeout showed off her strong finishing kick en route to her fourth win in seven starts.

“She was pretty empty at the top of the lane, but she was still able to keep going,” jockey Garrett Gomez said of Lucky Copy. “It’s hard to make up ground on horses when it’s soft, so I thought she might hang on.”

Closeout entered the Pucker Up off a runner-up finish to Ariege in the Madame Jumel Stakes on August 9 at Saratoga Race Course. Prior to that, she won the Audubon Oaks on July 12 at Ellis Park.

Trained by Tom Proctor, Closeout is out of the unraced Relaunch mare Deep Discount and is a full sister to Grade 3 winner Capital Request.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Tim Nichols is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor