7/29/2015  Post Time 3:20PM
RACE 8 SAR    The Honorable Miss HCP (GII)
$200.000  3yo&Up F&M    6f    Dirt

Sonoma was sent off as the even-money favorite in Wednesday’s Honorable Miss Hcp (GII) at the Spa, in up-state NY.  She also did all of the heavy lifting in the 6f sprint…  in the end, Northern Voodoo had other ideas.  Tracking the leader throughout much of this one, the bay filly, trained by Wynnewood, got up on the wire to win by a neck, getting the distance in 1:09.27.

The six sprinting ladies loaded up and were away in good order with Plucky Biscayne away well from the outside, Northern Voodoo and Sonoma from the inside, Eye Of The Beholder from between horses, El Gran Is Falling from the far outside and Anna Valentine was the early trailer.

Making their way down the backside and now four furlongs to run, Sonoma slipped up the rail to take over by a neck.  Northern Voodoo moving right along side that one, then a length back to Plucky Biscayne.  Gap of a length and a half to Eye Of The Beholder, two more back to El Gran Is Falling and Anna Valentine could still see them all, six lengths from the leader.

Swing around the far turn to the top of the lane, these two were throwing hay-makers and going at it on the front end.  Sonoma by a quarter-length, Northern Voodoo still pushing that one.  A length and a half back to Plucky Biscayne, two more to Eye Of The Beholder.   El Gran Is Falling feeling the whip, and Anna Valentine still at the rear of the field.

Now nearing the sixteen pole , Sonoma and Northern Voodoo looking each other in the eye, long-shot El Gran Is Falling finding her best stride, Plucky Biscayne used up in the pace and dropping back, Anna Valentine and Eye Of The Beholder just didn’t have it today. 

Nearing the wire, Northern Voodoo pushed past Sonoma and took the victory, by a neck.  El Gran Is Falling was a length back in third, then another half length to Anna Valentine in fourth.  Plucky Biscayne tired to be fifth and Eye Of The Beholder was a disappointing sixth.

Northern Voodoo is a 4yo bay filly by Northern Blood – Voodoo, by Secretariat Blue, and she was bred by Chili King Stables in FL.  This was her seventh victory from twenty-two starts, two of those coming this season since being privately purchased, and she has $647.550 in lifetime earnings.

$2 Mutuel Prices:

Track: Fast     Time: :22⁴  :45³  :57¹  1:09¹   
$1 Exacta: 2 – 1 Paid 7.10      $1 Trifecta: 2 – 1 – 6 Paid 1,335.40
Scratched: None

Categories: Grade II