Uptowncharlybrown Stud LLC’s DIXIE SERENADE put in a ferocious rally up the rail to upset Sunday’s $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park at 47-1.
Jockey Mychel Sanchez settled Dixie Serenade on the inside in front of Separationofpowers, who found herself in last early after a stumbling start. Meanwhile, 6-5 favorite Mia Mischief and Classy Act were battling it out on the lead through splits of :22.25, :44.63 and 1:09.75.
Separationofpowers moved up on the backstretch, leaving Dixie Serenade to occupy the last spot in the eight-filly field. The Edward Coletti Jr. trainee stayed in that spot rounding the turn and entering the lane. Splitting rivals, she angled over to the rail once again and hit another gear, suddenly flying home on the inside to get her neck down on the wire for the win.
Dixie Serenade completed 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.57 over the fast main track to return $97.50 as the second longest shot on the board.
Classy Act lost the war but won the battle, finishing second by a half-length. Sower joined the fight on the front end in the lane and took third by a length over Separationofpowers, who stuck her neck in front of Mia Mischief to secure fourth. Spectator missed fifth by that same margin but held onto sixth by a nose over Take Charge Paula. Norma’s Charm completed the order of finish.
Dixie Serenade captured her graded bow, and gave her trainer and jockey their first graded wins, to boost her career mark to 11-4-4-1. Making her first start outside her native Pennsylvania, she now boasts $266,750 in lifetime earnings.
The bay daughter of Uptowncharlybrown took three tries to break her maiden, finally doing so last September at Parx Racing, and was fifth next out while facing state-bred stakes rivals for the first time. She just returned to stakes company last out at Penn National, finishing third in the New Start Stakes.
Bred by Fantasy Lane Stable, Dixie Serenade is the first registered stakes winner out of the unraced Malibu Moon mare Moonlight Serenade. Her third dam produced Grade 1 queen Tenski.
VICTORY RIDE QUOTES
Edward Coletti Jr., trainer Dixie Serenade, winner
“I was surprised that she won. I wasn’t going to be surprised that she hit the board. I was surprised that she came up the rail and ran the way she did. It was (jockey Mychel Sanchez’s) decision (to come to ride her). I asked him if he wanted to come and he said, ‘Absolutely.’ So, we just went with what was working. He rides her well. He fits her great.”
Coletti indicated the $500,000 Test Stakes (G1) on August 4 at Saratoga could be next
“It’s going to be on our radar. I’m not sure what the next plan is yet, but it’s definitely going to be on our radar.”
Mychel Sanchez, jockey Dixie Serenade, winner
“She always has a good, hard, firm kick in the stretch. The plan was to let the speed go in the beginning and let her settle and hope to get a good trip with an ideal pace, which we did, and when I asked her she just took off.
“She’s something. I knew I had some distance on the horses up front and at the clip they were moving at I knew I just had to wait for the long stretch. As soon as they opened up, I asked her, and she just took off. The way she runs, you have to drop in and save some ground and I was along the rail the whole time. Thankfully everything opened up today.”
A couple races earlier on Belmont’s card, Klaravich Stables Inc. and William H. Lawrence’s HOMELAND SECURITY rallied in the stretch to take the $100,000 River Memories Stakes by a length under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
The Chad Brown trained-four-year-old lass was making her stakes debut in the 1 1/2-mile grass affair and stopped the clock in 2:26.11 over the firm Widener turf course. Sent off the 4-1 third choice, the dark bay daughter of Smart Strike returned $10.20 for the win.
Homeland Security improved her record to read 6-3-0-0 and has banked $179,000 lifetime. She is out of the unraced Giant’s Causeway mare Forever Beautiful, who is a half-sister to 2002 champion three-year-old filly and Kentucky Oaks (G1) queen Farda Amiga.
Homeland Security’s fourth dam is Broodmare of the Year, who produced Irish champion and multiple Group 1 winner St. Jovite.
RIVER MEMORIES QUOTES
Whit Beckman, assistant trainer Homeland Security, winner
“It was a jump up to stakes company and she delivered. She’s a bit of an overachiever but a real tough mare. Coming in, she has the pedigree to think she’d get the route of ground. She’s a really relaxed, easygoing filly. It’s always good when horses can keep themselves calm in these situations. Our plan was to just break out of there, get her in a real comfortable spot and hopefully, she gets left alone and see what happens.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., jockey Homeland Security, winner
“I just wanted to break out of there and sit comfortable. It’s a long way around there, a mile and a half. When we turned for home, I let her do her thing. She’s good. She can do these (longer distances). She’s an honest filly. She’ll always show up, no matter what.”
