Song of Spring Goes Last to First in DuPont Distaff
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Photo: Rick Samuels
Song of Spring wins the Allaire DuPont Distaff at Pimlico Race Course
Slathered in mud and bounding for home, Stoneway Farm's Song of Spring proved that a sloppy track was no issue as she sprinted from last to get up in the final strides of the $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (G3) May 18.
The 4-year-old daughter of Spring At Last had run in sloppy conditions before, but the water-logged surface she found Friday at Pimlico Race Course was the product of three days of rain. As the second to last race of the day, there was little to be done about the state of the sloppy (sealed) track as the field of eight loaded into the gate for the 1 1/8-mile test for fillies and mares, 3 and up.
Blue Prize, the 6-5 favorite, was locked in an early battle for the lead with Verve's Tale, while Song of Spring and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. were well off the pace in last. Running head-to-head, the leaders set fractions of :23.56, :47.52, and 1:12.12 through the first six furlongs.
Rounding the final turn, Verve's Tale and Blue Prize showed no signs of slowing down, breaking away from the field by a comfortable four lengths and running the mile in 1:38.13. But just when the winner's podium looked to be set, Santana hit the gas and Song of Spring dug in on the outside for one final push, overtaking Blue Prize by a half-length to complete the distance in a final time of 1:51.10.
Fuhriously Kissed followed in third, with In the Navy Now 5 3/4 lengths behind the winner. A tiring Verve's Tale finished fifth.
The DuPont Distaff was the second win of the season for Song of Spring, who began her 4-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish in an allowance/optional claiming race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in January, and followed it up with a win at the same level in February. She ran third in the April 20 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland, her only previous effort in graded company, finishing a close 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner.
Bred in Kentucky by Susan Casner, Song of Spring is out of the Bernardini mare Adream and was a $80,000 purchase by Stoneway Farm from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale. She now has a record of 4-2-3 in 15 starts and earnings of $228,643.