FOUR STRAIGHT FOR PAULASSILVERLINING
Brown mare nails Finley’sluckycharm in final strides
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Four of the five horses entered Wednesday’s the Grade 2 Honorable Miss off a win — including Paulassilverlining and Finley’sluckycharm who were racing for their fourth straight score.
So it came as no surprise when those two were the ones desperately trying to stretch across the wire in a photo finish.
In the end it was Paulassilverlining, with Jose Ortiz aboard, entering the Saratoga Race Course winner’s circle.
“She has a lot of heart this horse,” winning trainer and Mechanicville native Chad Brown said. “Since she’s arrived in our barn she’s done nothing wrong. So competitive, a lot of hear, a lot of talent.”
It was the 5-year-old Ghostzapper mare’s third race since moving to Brown’s barn from Michelle Nevins’. Since then, Paulassilverlining has won two Grade 1 sprints at 7 furlongs.
Yet it was the front-running Finley’sluckycharm who was made the post-time favorite after getting three pounds on her rival. The Twirling Candy filly jumped to the lead and set opening fractions of 22.69 and 45.46 after being pressed.
“I was hoping to engage early,” Ortiz said. “I told my filly to run hard before the quarter pole.”
Paulassilverlining went three wide around the turn then
stormed down the middle of the track to catch Finley’sluckcharm in the final strides. By the Moon was third, Clothes Fall Off fourth and Disco Chick fifth. The final time for the six-furlong race on a fast main track was 1:10.10.
“Six is just a little short for her,” Brown said of the distance. “She showed that she barely got up at the wire. Good horses overcome things like this, taking them out of their element just a touch and she’s done that today.”
Ortiz agreed that she would be better with a bit more distance to close into.
“She’s more like a 6 ½ horse,” Ortiz said. “Six furlongs is OK and seven is probably too long but she’s won them both lately. We’re very happy with the way she does it. My filly has a lot of heart.”
Paulassilverlining
“Six is just a little short for her. She showed that she barely got up at the wire. Good horses overcome things like this, taking them out of their element just a touch and she’s done that today.”
improved her record to 11-4-3 in 21 stars for $1,567,230 in career earnings. The 5-year-old paid $5.30 to win.
Brown said afterwards he was using the Honorable Miss as a prep for the Grade 1 $500,000 Ballerina to be run at 7 furlongs on August 26 — Travers Day.