Pretty Birdie Goes Gate-to-Wire to Win Purple Martin
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Photo: Coady Photography
Pretty Birdie wins the Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Marylou Whitney Stables' aptly named Pretty Birdie went gate-to-wire to impressively win the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes for 3-year-old fillies before an on-track crowd of 31,000 March 26 at Oaklawn Park.
Ridden by the meet's current leading jockey David Cabrera, Pretty Birdie was quickest away from the gate and proceeded to lead the field through early fractions of :21.63 and :45.07 for the first half-mile. The winner had plenty left in reserve for the final stages and drew off to win by 2 3/4 lengths over Hypersport in 1:09 flat for six furlongs over a fast track. Under Ramon Vazquez, 2-1 favorite Wicked Halo finished third.
"We've thought this filly was very talented for a very long time and were disappointed in her last two races, obviously," trainer Norm Casse said, pointing to sound defeats in her prior two stakes attempts. "But, we kind of got to work after her last race, trying to teach her to relax a little bit. Even though she was on the lead today, she did it in a much more reserved, controlled manner. It makes a much bigger difference for her getting into her normal rhythm."
Pretty Birdie, a homebred filly by Bird Song , started her career with a maiden special weight win at Churchill Downs and went on to win her second start at Saratoga Race Course in the 2021 Schuylerville Stakes (G3). The Purple Martin represents her third win out of five career starts with earnings of $236,738.
The most successful of her dam's progeny, Pretty Birdie is out of the winning Street Sense mare Bird Sense , who recorded $130, 712 in earnings. The mare has a yearling colt by Bird Song and dropped a Far From Over filly Jan. 30.