Klassy Bridgette All Class in Gritty Dixie Belle Score
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Photo: Coady Photography
Klassy Bridgette wins the Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Klassy Bridgette took down Pate and Key of Life Feb. 11 to firmly etch the $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes into her 2023 resume while making her stakes debut at Oaklawn Park.
The Chris Hartman trainee broke well and settled into fifth while Stone Silent and Key of Life led the way through early fractions of :22.29 and :46.46. Hitting the top of the lane in :59.20, Pate moved up from the back of the pack, going four wide to take a striking position in second, while Key of Life fought back and Klassy Bridgette came up quickly between the two to challenge.
In the final strides to the wire, it was Klassy Bridgette under Francisco Arietta who dug into the muddy dirt to capture the six-furlong event by a neck in a final time of 1:11.63. Pate was second and Key of Life was 2 3/4 lengths back in third.
"(Klassy Bridgette) showed a lot of class, that's for sure, and she got a great ride too, so that helps a bunch," Hartman said.
Klassy Bridgette ($7.40) entered the Dixie Belle off two straight victories at Oaklawn, including a last-out allowance optional claimer romp Jan. 13.
The 3-year-old daughter of Army Mule -Klassy Katlyn, by Saint Ballado, was a $70,000 purchase by J R Thoroughbreds and Joe Davis from the Wavertree Stables consignment to the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. She is now campaigned by her purchasers along with Larry Romero.