Windmill Surges Clear in Dixie Belle Stakes

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Photo: Coady Photography
Windmill wins the Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn Park

The change in date of the $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn Park appeared to be a blessing in disguise for Fox Hill Farms' lightly-raced Windmill. Originally scheduled for Feb. 13, the six-furlong contest was postponed twice after a massive winter storm swept into Hot Springs, blanketing the Oaklawn track with ice and snow.

The new date gave the Larry Jones trained-filly ample time to recover from an eye-catching Jan. 23 maiden victory, and Windmill found more than plenty left in the tank to edge her rivals in the Feb. 28 Dixie Belle.


"We were a little afraid we were coming back a little quick for her but the good lord blessed us with a snowstorm, kept us out two weeks and it played out perfect for us," said trainer Larry Jones.

Sent off as the second choice at 2-1 against six other rivals, Windmill quickly engaged favored Abrogate and Goin' Good for the early lead. Three-wide down the backstretch, the trio clocked tepid splits of in :22.72 and :44.22 over a sloppy track. Turning for home, Goin' Good appeared to take the advantage over a stubborn Abbrogate on the rail as jockey Joe Talamo set Windmill down into a drive with a furlong left to run. Seizing command at the sixteenth pole, Windmill drove to the wire a length clear of Goin' Good, who held second by another length back to Abrogate.

Windmill ran the six furlongs in 1:11.14 and earned Talamo his first win of the 2021 Oaklawn meet.

Big Time, Mariah's Princess, and Miss Twenty completed the field. Heart Full of So and Someone Said So scratched.

After Windmill romped by 4 lengths in her debut, Jones thought he had a good filly but admitted  "I didn't think she was going to be this caliber of horse right off the bat. She's pretty nice."

A graded stakes could be the next target for the bay.

"No doubt she is (a graded stakes quality filly)," said Jones. "You try not to get the cart in front of the horse but we do have a plan mapped out for her. We do think shes a nice filly and shes not letting us down right now by any means."

Windmill was sold to Fox Hill Farms as a yearling at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $330,000. Bred by Nesco II Limited in Kentucky, she is the first stakes winner produced from the Grand Slam mare Zaharias. Zaharias is a full sister to grade 1 winner Visionaire and a half sister to grade 1 victress Tara's Tango and graded stakes winners Scarlet Strike and Madison's Luna.

Video: Dixie Belle S. (BT)