Vision Perfect Scores in Parx Dash
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Photo: Barbara Weidl/Equi-Photo
Vision Perfect earns his first graded stakes win in the Parx Dash Stakes
About the only thing trainer Jason Servis hadn't won the last couple of months was a graded stakes contest. With a determined run in the stretch of the $200,000 Parx Dash Stakes (G3T), Vision Perfect took care of that little issue—and started a mini-trend to boot.
Servis, who began the day with a 54% winning clip at the Monmouth Park meet and a 48% mark during the Belmont Park meeting, enjoyed another productive outing July 7 when Vision Perfect wore down Pool Winner in late stretch to win by a nose in the five-furlong Parx Dash at Parx Racing.
Less than a half-hour after Vision Perfect gave Servis his first graded victory since Actress took the Comely Stakes (G3) in November, his stablemate Firenze Fire added to the barn's hot streak with a runaway triumph in the Dwyer Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. Where Vision Perfect's finish had more drama to it, the 6-year-old son of Pollard's Vision nonetheless succeeded in taking a big step forward to earn his first graded win after being 0-for-7 against such company.
Seventh in last year's edition of the Parx Dash, Vision Perfect snapped a 10-race losing skid in March when he captured the Silks Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park over a field that included graded stakes winner Bucchero. He finished sixth next time out in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes presented by Twinspires.com (G3T) at Churchill Downs May 4 —his third consecutive off-the-board effort in a graded race—but was able to put himself right in the mix early in the Parx Dash, sitting a stalking third as Pool Winner went the opening quarter in :22.62, with 4-5 favorite Pure Sensation up close in second.
Vision Perfect advanced on an outside path coming into the turn and was bearing down on Pool Winner as the pacesetter covered a half-mile in :45.11. With Frankie Pennington going to work in the saddle, 7-2 second choice Vision Perfect kept digging down the straight and gained the advantage with a sixteenth to go.
Owned by Mr. Amore Stable, Vision Perfect covered the distance in :57.18 over a course rated good. Pool Winner was 1 3/4 lengths clear of third-place Pure Sensation, with Bold Thunder and Dubini completing the top five in the 10-horse field.
Vision Perfect improved his record to six wins from 29 starts, with earnings of $612,784. He was bred in Kentucky by Robert Spiegel out of the Speightstown mare Steamy.
Earlier on the card, Smiling Causeway went gate to wire and defeated Servis trainee Blue Bahia by three lengths to take the $100,000 Turf Amazon Stakes for fillies and mares. Trained by Arnaud Delacour, Smiling Causeway covered the five furlongs in :56.92 to earn her third win in her last four starts and improve her record to five wins from nine outings.