NEWS
Dixie Commander scores Turf Paradise upset
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010 8:16 PM
DIXIE COMMANDER
Shawn Coady/Coady Photography
To view the Turf Paradise Derby, click here.
by Tim Nichols
Just as it appeared 1-to-2 favorite Indian Firewater would cruise to victory in the $150,000 Turf Paradise Derby on Saturday, longshot Dixie Commander closed with a rush from the outside to score the upset.
Owned and trained by Steven Miyadi, Dixie Commander raced unhurriedly in third under Wilson Dieguez as Pinal led Indian Firewater through a quarter-mile in :22.76 and a half-mile in :46.40. Indian Firewater dispatched Pinal to take the lead entering the stretch, but Dixie Commander powered past the favorite to win by a widening 3¼ lengths at odds of 22.30-to-1. He covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.97 on a track rated as good.
“He never grabbed the bit early on and seemed not interested,” Dieguez said. “I pecked and pecked at him to get his attention. But it wasn’t until I gave him a whack left handed that he took off. Fortunately, just in time.”
Indian Firewater finished second, 7 ½ lengths in front of third-place finisher Pinal.
Dixie Commander, who is not Triple Crown nominated, improved to two wins from six career starts and earnings of $58,060. Bred in Kentucky by Diamond A Racing Corp., Dixie Commander is out of the winning Go for Gin mare Gin Running, whose dam is a half sister to 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick. Dixie Commander is a half brother to Grade 2 winner Tizfiz
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor of Thoroughbred Times
