Kenny Noe Jr.

Weigelia is getting closer to breaking the $1 million mark in earnings (Jim Lisa Photos)

Joseph J. Balsamo’s WEIGELIA (Safely’s Mark) broke like a shot from his
outside post and was never under any serous duress in taking the field
gate-to-wire in Saturday’s $100,000
Kenny Noe Jr. H. (G3) over the sloppy,
sealed going at
Calder. The Michael Trombetta charge set relatively un-pressured
splits of :22 1/5, :45 and 1:10 3/5 for the opening six furlongs, before
completing the seven panels in 1:24 under Eddie Castro. Sent off at odds of
7-1, the speedy five-year-old rewarded his backers with mutuels of $17.40,
$7.40 and $5, while keying the $90 exacta, $654.60 trifecta and $9,653.20
superfecta (9-3-1-2).

Paradise Dancer (Langfuhr) rated in midpack for much of the contest, before
putting in a strong stretch run to gain the place by a nose. The 3-1 second
choice was worth $4.80 and $3.60. How’s Your Halo (Halo’s Image) chased the
winner through the early stages and re-rallied to gain a well-earned third,
paying $8.20 at 11-1. Carrots Only (Defrere) closed from the back to finish off
the super at 53-1, and was trailed by Valid Video (Valid Wager), disappointing
6-5 choice Nightmare Affair (Out of Place), Mister Fotis (Diligence), Robbies
Charm (Slew Gin Fizz) and Istan (Gone West).

Weigelia annexed his second graded and seventh stakes win in this one while upping his
lifetime mark to 35-12-6-9, $896,580. The bay owns tallies in the Carry Back S.
(G3), two of the previous three editions of the Jack Dudley Sprint H., Padua
Stables Sophomore S., Hockessin S. and Western Borders S., while placing in the
2004 King’s Bishop S. (G1) and Amsterdam S. (G2), as well as this year’s Smile
Sprint H. (G2).