Virginia-bred horses fared well on Thanksgiving weekend stakes races, highlighted by Code West’s victory in the $150,000 Zia Park Championship Stakes on Wednesday. Rose Brier actually finished first in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap Saturday at Gulfstream Park but was disqualified and placed second. And Realm finished a respectable third in the Grade I Cigar Mile Saturday at Aqueduct — his first stakes action ever. In non-stakes action, Made Bail lost by just three-quarters of a length in a $63,000 allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs.
A trio of two year olds — Peace of Green Rvf, , Taleoftheprincess and Fly E Dubai — all got to the winners circle in their respective races while 3 year old colt Divine Interventino scored in an Aqueduct allowance race Friday.
Fly E Dubai, an E Dubai gelding, was sent off at odds of 21-1 in a 12 horse field of maiden claimers Sunday at Laurel. She stayed among the top four contenders throughout the $33,000 one mile race and was down by just a head at the top of the stretch. Fly E Dubai ended up winning by a length over Papa Pablo in 1:37.61. The victor, who paid $44.80, was bred by Carlos S.E. Moore and Gillian Gordon-Moore and is owned by Jane Thurston.
The other two victorious freshmen, Taleoftheprincess (at Fair Grounds) and Peaceof Green Rvf (at Penn National) both scored in gate to wire fashion. The former, bred by the William Backer Revocable Trust, dueled in a head to head battle with Hotshot Anna the entire stretch. She prevailed by that head margin in the $43,000 allowance optional one mile claimer. The Tale of the Cat filly completed the six furlong distance in 1:11.10. She has now won back to back starts and has earned $41,040. Her first triumph came October 31st at Keeneland.
The latter, bred by Rose Ann Howell, beat ten other horses and hung on to win by a neck over Majestic Calling Wednesday. The Green Monkey gelding dug in at the top of the stretch to hold off an inside challenge. The winner, out of Belle Peace by Jazz Club, paid $12.60 to win in the $17,000, 5 1/2 furlong maiden claiming sprint. He is owned by the Riverview Farms.
Sophomore Divine Interventio captured a $58,000 starter allowance race at Aqueduct on Saturday. The Malibu Moon colt came from the rear of the six horse field in the final three furlongs. Bred by William Backer, the winner went four wide in the upper stretch and took over in the final 70 yards. He finished seven furlongs in 1:24.22. Divine Interventio is a Steve Asmussen trainee and is out of the Out of Place mare, Art Show. He did not compete as a two year old but has already amassed $93,116 in earnings as a three year old.
