NEWS
Parading unleashes rally to win Dixie
Posted: Saturday, May 16, 2009 7:13 PM
PARADING
Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
To view video of the Dixie Stakes, click here.
by Pete Denk
Six-year-old Parading continued his career-best form with a game half-length victory in the $150,000 Dixie Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.
The Phipps Stable homebred won his first graded stakes race on April 19 at Keeneland Race Course with a 7½-length victory in the Ben Ali Stakes (G3) on the synthetic Polytrack surface.
Returned to the turf—the surface that had accounted for four of his six previous career victories—Parading stalked the pace in fourth in the Dixie, circled the leaders on the far turn, and won with a sustained bid in the stretch.
Just As Well rallied for second, and Wesley closed from last in the 11-horse field to finish third after lacking room in the stretch. Lauro (Ger) set the pace through fractions of :24.64, :48.75, and 1:12.42 before fading to fourth.
Parading completed 1 1/8 miles on the firm turf in 1:48.28 to improve to seven wins in 17 starts.
Winning jockey Kent Desormeaux has ridden Parading in each of his three 2009 starts, including a half-length loss in a turf allowance race at Keeneland on April 4 in which he set the pace and was caught late.
“I got him beat at Keeneland, because I didn’t let him run early enough. He’s not an explosive horse, but he’s got stamina for days,” Desormeaux said. “It worked out well today. We hit the half-mile pole and I let him stretch his legs. When I squeezed him turning for home, he laid his body down and sprinted to the wire.”
Parading improved his career earnings to $405,046 for Phipps Stable and trainer Shug McGaughey. He is out of the Grade 3-placed winning Storm Cat mare On Parade, a full sister to 2002 champion two-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
To view video of the Dixie Stakes, click here.
Pete Denk is sales editor for Thoroughbred Times
