Sarah Sis Much the Best in Honeybee
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Sarah Sis cruised to an easy win in the $150,000 Honeybee Stakes (gr. III) March 7 at Oaklawn Park, defeating favorite Oceanwave by 1 1/2 lengths while tallying a breakthrough stakes win .
Joe Ragsdale’s Sharp Humor filly got to within a head second of champion Take Charge Brandi in the Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 31 last time out at the Hot Springs, Ark. track. With connections of that rival opting to bypass the Honeybee for the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) and undefeated multiple stakes winner Promise Me Silver scratched, however, Sarah Sis proved clearly superior to her seven overmatched opponents.
Sarah Sis rated a distant second behind Super Saks, who sprinted clear at the start and led by as much as eight lengths while setting opening fractions of :22.92 and :46.36 through a half-mile. The eventual winner rapidly closed around the turn and was within a head of leader as six furlongs went in 1:12.60.
Sarah Sis ran willingly past the front-runner and powered clear, leading by five lengths while clocking the mile in 1:39.66 under Julio Felix.
Bidding from midpack, Oceanwave found traffic late on the turn but closed ground on Sarah Sis when guided clear by Shaun Bridgmohan. Still, she could not get to the winner, who finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.94 on a fast track.
The Honeybee is the final major local prep for the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. III) April 4 at Oaklawn. Sarah Sis’ win is worth 50 qualifying points toward a start in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) May 1 at Churchill Downs.
Prior to her heartbreaking second to Take Charge Brandi in the Martha Washington, Sarah Sis was neck second to Promise Me Silver in the Dixie Belle Stakes Jan. 15 at Oaklawn to start the year.
Saturday’s win improves the filly’s record to 3-3-0 from six career starts for trainer Ingrid Mason and boosts her lifetime bankroll to $203,000.
Sarah Sis returned $7.80, $3.60, and $2.80 while Oceanwave, the slight favorite over Sarah Sis, brought $4.40 and $3, both at 2-1 odds. Pangburn paid $2.40 to show.
Purr finished fourth, followed by Bootsy's Girl, Desert Valley, Indian Annie, and Super Saks to complete the order of finish.
The winning Gilded Time mare Emerald Gal is the dam of Sarah Sis, who was bred in Kentucky by Catherine Rene White D.V.M. Ragsdale secured her from consignor Doble Jak, agent, for $20,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. June sale of 2-year-olds in training. As a yearling, Bluewater Sales was sent her through the ring at the Keeneland September yearling sale, where she was bought by Luis Chonqui for a bargain $10,000.