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Avatar Edges Pink Attack at Wire to Win Latonia Stakes

Avatar came into the running of the Latonia Stakes after running well in a handful of NY-bred races but was arguably about to have the toughest challenge of her career here since the IA Oaks last Summer. In a field that seemed well-balanced, she went off at odds of 10/1 and would reward her supporters and trainer Smokey Stover with a winning effort.

Looking for Someone to Shine in Latonia Stakes

Like the Rushaway Stakes, the Latonia Stakes is appearing on the schedule for the first time since 2020. This race does not have a lot of history within our game, being only run twice, and for purses of $75.000 and then $100.000. The increase to $250.000 should lead to his becoming a race of interest, and we are off to a good start.

Rushaway Stakes Returns with Increased Purse

Returning to the schedule in 2024 will be the Rushaway Stakes, a race that was last held in 2020 and was run inconsistently since 2006. The main reason for that was probably the purse level, as on a couple occasions, it went for under $100.000 and then was exactly that every other year.