BLIND DATE POUNCES IN MARYLAND MILLION DISTAFF
LAUREL, MD. 10-02-10----William Backer’s Blind Date rallied four wide down the stretch and caught 3-10 favorite Love That Dance just before the finish line to win the $100,000 Jim McKay Maryland Million Distaff.
Sent to post as the second choice in the wagering under jockey Sheldon Russell, Blind Date was turning the tables on Love That Dance, who beat her by a head in last year’s Maryland Million Oaks. This time the margin of victory was a half-a-length, her winning time was 1:28.82 for the seven furlong distance and her win payoff was $13.
“Our concern going into the race was the seven furlongs because this is a really big filly, so her style was going to make this race a little bit too short,” said Russell. “The pace has been setting up very well today and we were going into the race sharp. As we went along I thought that we would get up in time.”
Blind Date, who finished third in the Maryland Million Lassie two years ago, is trained by Hamilton Smith.
“These are two nice fillies. I knew that was the horse we had to beat,” said Smith. “I am pleased with how she’s been doing. We tried her on the turf and the dirt and she seemed to take to the dirt a little better. I knew she’d be far back at the start. She’s not a sprinter by any means. She’s almost 17 hands and she comes on and made it very exciting.”
The win was the fourth on Maryland’s Day At The Races for Smith and the first for Russell, Laurel’s second leading rider.
Blind Date won four stakes races during her 3-year-old campaign a year ago, including the Grade 3 Virginia Oaks, but she had not visited the winners’ circle since taking the Pearl Necklace Stakes here in August 2009.
Defending champion All Giving finished sixth.
-mjc-
PHOTO CREDIT-Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club
Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club
410-578-4461 (Pimlico)
301-470-5461 (Laurel Park)
240-876-7403 (Mobile)
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