Saturday, February 11, 2012
SWEET VICTORY FOR SINGLET IN DEARLY PRECIOUS
By Jenny Kellner
Leaving from the outside, the Real Quiet filly raced alongside Well Kept as they tracked Corderosa through an opening quarter-mile in 23.47 seconds and a half in 47.15. Drawing on even terms with the leader on the turn, Singlet was able to stick her head in front approaching the eighth pole and had enough left to turn back the resurgent pacesetter at the wire.
Her winning time for the six furlongs was 1:11.62.
"I had the best position," said Singlet's jockey, Cornelio Velasquez. "I stayed third, and at the top of the stretch I asked her and had a lot of horse. The other horse [Corderosa] ran big, too. She was tough, but my filly was better."
The victory was the third straight for Singlet, who opened her 3-year-old campaign with a six-length victory in the Xtra Heat starter stakes at the Big A on January 5, which followed a 2 ½-length allowance win at Parx Racing on November 27.
"Going into today's race I felt she had the talent to compete, but hadn't been tested for class," said Tony Dutrow, who trains Singlet for Michael Dubb, Larry Brafman and Daniel Ryan. "These were better horses she was facing today, and for her to take them on and be competitive proved something."
Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, Singlet returned $5.60 for a $2 win bet as she extended her record to 4-1-0 from five starts and her earnings to $169,144. Dutrow said the filly's next start likely will be the Grade 3, $250,000 Comely at Aqueduct on April 7 on the undercard for the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World New York City Casino Wood Memorial.
Corderosa was 2 ¾ lengths ahead of Lisa T., with Well Kept finishing fourth, Marvelous Margaret was scratched.
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