High Dollar Woman Cashes in Indiana Oaks

High Dollar Woman withstood an extended challenge from Sweetgrass to deliver a front-end, upset victory in the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (gr. II) Saturday night, July 18 at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.

Sent off at 15-1 odds, JoAnn and Alex Lieblong's High Dollar Woman seized the lead early, completing a quarter-mile in :24.21 while kept off the rail in the sloppy going by jockey Joe Rocco Jr. through the first turn. The daughter of Super Saver   then cruised through a half-mile in :48.04 and six furlongs in 1:12.32, at which point she was tested by Sweetgrass.

Jockey Chris Landeros sent Sweetgrass after the early leader turning for home and quickly made up ground to pull nearly even, but High Dollar Woman would prove resilient, meeting that challenge and then fighting off Sweetgrass through the stretch to register a one-length victory.

Favored Oceanwave, who placed in a pair of grade III stakes earlier this year at Oaklawn Park, finished third in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Steve Hobby, High Dollar Woman earned her first stakes win in completing the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:43.49 on the sloppy track.

"I thought (All Day Alice) would be on the lead," Rocco said, "but I hustled (High Dollar Woman) out of there a little bit and then she was just there in the front. I let her get comfortable and she had plenty to come home for the drive. I thought we'd be close—not necessarily in front, but that's how it worked out."

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, High Dollar Woman is out of the stakes-placed Fusaichi Pegasus mare Melissa Jo, who also has produced stakes-placed winner Joedini.

High Dollar Woman returned $32.40 to win, $11.80 to place, and $5 to win and keyed the $296.20 exacta with 9-1 shot Sweetgrass, who returned $8 to place and $4.40 to show. Oceanwave paid $2.60 to show.

The Lieblongs landed High Dollar Woman for $675,000 at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training from the Eddie Woods consignment.