Marquee Miss Edges Nickname at Oaklawn

Marquee Miss edged 1-2 favorite Nickname in the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes Feb. 6 at Oaklawn Park, acing her second race of the year for Rags Racing Stable and trainer Ingrid Mason.

The one-mile test is worth points of 10-4-2-1 on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, and gave the 3-year-old daughter of Cowboy Cal   her first appearance on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard. Winner of the Jan. 15 Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn and of her debut, the 2015 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes, Marquee Miss also collected her first graded win.

The victory was vindication for Mason, who last year was denied the upset when eventual grade II winner Sarah Sis reluctantly gave way to champion Take Charge Brandi in late stretch.

Durango set the pace in this year's Martha Washington, opening a quarter in :23.64 and going a half in :47.12 with My Master Plan and 12-1 Marquee Miss following close behind. Nickname, unraced since a fourth in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Keeneland, tracked fourth on the inside as three-quarters went in 1:12.19 and ran bravely through a seam on the rail turning for home.  

"My filly ran exceptional for her first start of the year," jockey Corey Nakatani said of Nickname's effort. "She ran a dynamite race, the other horse had just a little bit more today. She'll be looking forward to the next race. She's a really nice filly that didn't get the win today but ran a great race."

Marquee Miss and jockey Channing Hill turned back Nickname through seven-eighths in 1:12.95 and finished half a length ahead. Final time was 1:39.18 on a fast track.

"Obviously, it's not ideal having a grade I winner coming up the fence on you," Hill said. "My filly's just a little more game when she gets competitive—head-and-head. She was all heart today."

"I thought she ran fantastic," said Mason. "I couldn't ask anything more for her. I thought Channing did an awesome job riding her and put her in an awesome spot that she needed to be in. She obviously has a lot more run in her than we thought. She ran really well and we are happy with how well she has developed this year."

Marquee Miss returned $26.20, $7 and $5. Nickname brought $2.80 and $2.60. Dorodansa, the 5-1 second choice, overcame a poor start and got up for third ($3.60). She was followed by Durango, Ready to Confess, My Master Plan and Red Fern Doll.

Bred in Kentucky by David Jacobs out of the Marquetry mare Marquee Delivery, Marquee Miss was a $20,000 purchase by Joe Ragsdale from the Southern Chase Farm consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s June 2015 2-year-olds and horses of racing sale. Prior to that she went through the ring as a $19,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton 2014 Kentucky fall yearling sale, when Webb Carroll signed the ticket from Crowning Point Farm's consignment. She has now won three of six career starts for earnings of $164,925.