Bet She Wins Dominates Arlington-Washington Lassie

Lothenbach Stables' Bet She Wins capitalized on a crafty ride from Jose Lopez to overcome a tricky draw when posting a 9 1/2-length win in the Sept. 9 $75,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes going seven furlongs on the main track for 2-year-old fillies at Arlington International Racecourse.

Trained by Chris Block, the daughter of First Samurai  broke from post 12 after the scratch of Presage and was immediately taken to the rail on the backstretch. Settled in the back half of the pack behind splits of :22.92 and :46.11 for a half-mile, the filly found herself just behind the leaders turning for home. After darting through at the rail at the top of the stretch, she soon established an insurmountable lead through six furlongs in 1:11.71 and was driven home to the easiest of scores in a final time of 1:24.43.

Sagamore Farm's class-dropping Southampton Way, ridden by Horacio Karamanos for trainer Horacio DePaz, rallied belatedly to grab second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Krystle Holsapple's Espressa, who held third under Carlos Marquez Jr. for trainer Chris Ryan.

"Basically, I followed the instructions," Lopez said. "Chris told me after the break to try to get over and it happened to be clear. I got over to the rail and it opened up."

"She had worked good on the Polytrack, and I didn't really have any other place to go," Block said. "I told the owners that if she came out of the maiden race in good shape we were going to fire back in the Lassie. Hats off to Jose (Lopez)."

Bred by Gunpowder Farms, Bet She Wins scored for the second time in three career starts and earned $41,400 to boost her career bankroll to $61,280. She returned $28.80, $9.60, and $6.20 across the board.

Lemon Drop Twist, Richie'slilwildcat, Romantic Attack, Saucy At Midnight, Fabriana, Her Wild Lifestyle, Caramel Cream, Ardor, Cowgirl Callie, and Red Dread completed the order of finish.

One race earlier, Sagamore Farm and Stanley M. Hough's Barry Lee rebounded to victory in the 82nd running of the $75,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity Stakes when the colt found his best stride late in the seven-furlong event over the main track.

Facing eight other juveniles, the son of Violence  settled two lengths behind the pack of front-runners through fractions of :23.45 and :47.63 for a half-mile. Kept well off the rail by jockey Horacio Karamanos, the Horacio DePaz trainee made up ground on the turn and hit the stretch in front in 1:11.98 for six furlongs before coming home to win by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:25.27.

Lothenbach Stables' Captivating Moon, ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr. for trainer Chris Block, was eighth through the opening stages, moved up on the turn and rallied down the middle of the track to grab second, 1 1/4-lenghts in front of William Stiritz's Scott Becker-trained Ghaaleb's Winner who had followed him from last around the track before Chris Emigh urged his mount up the rail in the stretch to snag third.

"This horse broke good out of the gate," Karamanos said about the winner. "At the three-eighths pole he was a little bit rank and I didn't want to steady inside, so I let him move outside and then he went nice and comfortable. At the top of the stretch he started looking around like he needed a little company, but when I whipped him, he responded."

"(Capitivating Moon) was traveling in my hand the first part of the race but once I went to set him down he was flat-footed," said Valdivia. "I couldn't believe that he almost got up to win."

Barry Lee returned $5.60, $2.80, and $3.00 across the board. Bred by Golden Pedigree, the winner raised his career earnings to $67,000 with two wins in three lifetime starts.

Take Charge Dude, Our Thomas, Kate's Golden Dude, P R Radio Star, East Rand, and The X completed the order of finish. Soul of Discretion was scratched.