Saturday 5/4/24
6:30pm EDT

  7   CD The Derby City Distaff (Grade I)   7f Dirt   Stakes  
              $1,000.000 4yo&Up F&M

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The Green Card hands out the exacta, as cold as the other side of the pillow, as Alydar Stables‘ Smokin Cara makes it a perfect 4-for-4 on wet surfaces, nailing down her first Grade 1 win and taking The Derby City Distaff (GI) by a half-length, stopping the timer at 1:23.06 for the seven furlongs over a main track listed as Good.  Mb Stables’ Chica Lugo had the lead at the top of the lane, but just could not hold off the hard closing eventual winner, while securing the second spot by a length over Fractious’ Devils Bride in third, by a quarter length to Penal Partido Rene, owned by Martyparty, getting the minor share of the monster $1,000.000 purse.  Six lengths covered the field.

Congrats to the Connections! 

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The field loaded into the gate, tucked back in the chute, and were away in the 2024 Derby City Distaff!  Avatar springing out the gate like she was stung by a bee… Sexy Angelina cruising up next to that one, Shadow State from the far outside, Parade Leader between horses, then down to the rail for Chica Lugo, La Roo on her flank, Devils Bride and Lady Sammyantha to her outside, then Penal Partido Rene, and a gap to the trailing pair of Lorient on the outside of Smokin Cara. 

Making their way down the backside, past the track kitchen and dashing off into the far turn with three and a half furlongs to run, Avatar continuing to set the pace, Sexy Angelina content to shadow that one, then out wider to Shadow State, another length to Chica Lugo along the inside, Parade Leader to her outside, then Lar Roo, out wider to Devils Bride and Lady Sammyantha widest of all.  Another gap to Penal Partido Rene, then the same trailing pair of Smokin Cara and Lorient.

Around the far turn, into the lane and now three-sixteenths of a mile to run, we had some major changes as our leader had changed… Chica Lugo moved up to take a short lead, Sexy Angelina to her inside, Shadow State to her outside as Avatar was tiring along the rail.  Parade Leader with a clear path, La Roo to her inside, Devils Bride to her outside and Lady Sammyantha still widest of all.  Penal Partido Rene inching closer as Smokin Cara was now given her head and began to move up and Lorient could see them all.

Inside the final sixteenth, Chica Lugo showing the way by a length, Shadow State trying to get her from the outside, but Smokin Cara was flying home like a freight train!!  Devis Bride and Penal Partido Rene also trying to find more as the others were headed in the wrong direction… the run to the wire was on!!

Deep stretch and to the finish, the question was could Chica Lugo find enough to hold off the fast-closing Smokin Cara, and with every jump towards the line, the answer was ever apparent… nobody was stopping Smokin Cara, and she went right on by and under the wire first to score by a half-length.  Chica Lugo was a very game filly and took the second spot by a length over Devils Bride in third.  Penal Partido Rene closed a late gap to end of even terms with Shadow State, as it just wouldn’t be a weekend without a dozen or so dead heats.  Lady Sammyantha was sixth, Avatar a tiring seventh, Sexy Angelina eighth, Parade Leader ninth, La Roo tenth and Lorient closed this one out.

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