Pauline's Pearl Captures Houston Ladies Classic
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Photo: Coady Photography
Pauline's Pearl wins the Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston Race Park
Trainer Steve Asmussen collected his third victory in the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) Jan. 30 at Sam Houston Race Park thanks to Stonestreet Stables' homebred Pauline's Pearl . The Hall of Famer now hopes the 4-year-old Tapit filly can use the victory as a launching pad to the top level.
The Houston Ladies Classic, run for the 10th time Sunday, was the season starter in 2019 for Asmussen-trained Midnight Bisou , who by that year's end wrapped up champion older dirt female honors. Asmussen won the 1 1/16-mile race again in 2020 with Lady Apple , the 2019 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) third-place finisher.
"That's extremely good company," Asmussen said. "This has been a very key race in the division. The mares that have won this the last several years have went on to have a big say in the important races for older mares throughout the year and we expect that to be the same this year."
Just a year ago, Fausto Gutierrez-trained Letruska won the Houston Ladies Classic and is now expected to receive champion older dirt female honors for 2021 at the upcoming Eclipse Awards ceremony.
Joel Rosario was aboard Pauline's Pearl, the 3-5 favorite in the field of seven, and settled his mount mid-pack out of post 3. The Mary Rose broke fast from the outside and gunned for the lead, setting fractions of :23.60, :47.27, and 1:11.49 through six furlongs. Golden Curl was a length back from The Mary Rose throughout those splits, but was poised to take the lead turning for home as the pacesetter started to fade.
Pauline's Pearl was guided three wide on the far turn by Rosario, then easily powered to the front once in the straight. She put away Golden Curl then carried on to a 3 3/4-length victory.
The final time was 1:44.43 on the fast track. The winner paid $3.20 for a $2 win bet.
Golden Curl, another Stonestreet-bred, was second three-quarters of a length over rallying third-place finisher Audrey's Time . Becca's Rocket , The Mary Rose, Velvet Crush , and Champagne Affair completed the order of finish.
PAULINE'S PEARL leads home a Stonestreet bred exacta in the G3 Houston Ladies Classic S. with GOLDEN CURL in second! ✨#GirlsinGold #StonestreetStables #BredandRaised #StonestreetTrained #GradedGrads pic.twitter.com/MDMVDG3omJ
— Stonestreet (@StonestreetFarm) January 30, 2022
Pauline's Pearl improved her record to 4-3-2 from 11 starts and has earned $968,500. Last year at 3 she captured the Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park and closed out 2021 in November with a score in the Zia Park Oaks at Zia Park.
The winning connections of Pauline's Pearl in the trophy presentation for the Houston Ladies Classic
"After her Zia Park Oaks win this was the target," Asmussen said after Sunday's race. "She has trained beautifully for it. Just an incredibly bred filly, a homebred of Stonestreet's. Just extremely proud of her victory today."
Asmussen said it would be "logical" to send Pauline's Pearl back to Oaklawn this year. That track's distaff series concludes with the April 23 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1), a race Midnight Bisou also won in 2019.
Bred in Kentucky, Pauline's Pearl is out of the Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick , who was trained by Asmussen for Grace Stables (Barbara Banke, owner of Stonestreet), and won the 2009 Spinaway Stakes (G1). Hot Dixie Chick has also produced Union Jackson (Curlin ), who was also a stakes winner at Sam Houston and now stands at Sequel Stallions New York. The mare's youngest foals are an unraced 3-year-old Curlin colt named Marsalis and a yearling Constitution colt. She was last reported bred to Quality Road for 2022.