Paulassilverlining Delivers in Vagrancy

Vincent Scuderi's homebred Paulassilverlining picked up her second graded stakes victory of the year with a win in the grade III, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap May 21 at Belmont Park. 

The 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper   settled close behind West Coast Chick andMomameamaria, who pressed through the early quarter-mile in :22.24 and the opening half in :45.25. Jockey Jose Ortiz waited patiently for a seam to open between the leaders and, eyeing enough room on the outside of West Coast Chick at the top of the stretch, drove Paulassilverling through her rivals to draw clear under the wire.

"I knew I had to break out of there and made (West Coast Chick)and (Momameamaria) go," said Ortiz. "I then sat and then she went like nothing. It felt like in two jumps she was in front of them."

Paulassilverlining, who won the grade III Distaff April 17 over next-out grade II Ruffian winner Cavorting, her first graded victory in more than 18 months, returned $2.40 as the overwhelming 1-5 favorite and completed 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.82.

"Jose gave her a perfect ride," said winning trainer Michelle Nevin, who also teamed up with Ortiz to win day's third race with Touchofstarquality. "What more could we want? Each step she shows us more and more with her development. We're not sure where we're going to go next but she definitely showed us a lot today."

West Coast Chick finished second, ahead of Stormy Sky in third. Momameamaria and Blithely completed the order of finish.