Long shot Perhaps a Pie took the lead in the at 1-1/8 miles Emerald Downs Distaff and ran straight to the winner’s circle.
The 4-year-old Florida-bred filly went to the front of the pack soon after the gate opened in the $65,000 handicap for older fillies and mares. She dug in during the stretch run to hold off Chronologic’sghost for a neck victory at the wire.
Trainer Chris Stenslie said after the race, “I knew she was a better router than sprinter so I thought we would take a shot at it.”
Perhaps a Pie had not won since September 2015 in a 6-1/2 furlong $25,000 allowance at Emerald Downs. This season at the Auburn oval she has ran in five races, taking fifth twice, sixth once, along with a third and second place finish.
In the Sunday stakes the filly found the right stride and never looked back.
With jockey Eswan Flores in the irons, the filly set fractions of 23.76 seconds at the quarter-mile mark, 47.42 at the half and the final was 1:47.59.
“She tried hard,” Flores said. “She was ready for this race.”
Stenslie said she knew there was not a lot of early speed in the race and, “I know she doesn’t like dirt in her face and she was coming from the one hole. I told him (Flores) to let her go to the front and try to back up some for the end.”
Stenslie’s strategy worked like a charm. In the final furlong when Chronologic’sghost and 2-1 favorite All Star Bub ran up beside Perhaps a Pie so she could see them in the final furlong, the filly shifted into high gear and held the challengers off at the finish line by a neck.
“I was always hoping for the best,” Stenslie said.
She got it.
The victory improved Perhaps a Pie’s lifetime record to 14-4-1-2, with earnings of $88,572. She is owned by Issaquah resident Jody Peetz, under the stable name, One Horse Will Do Corporation.
At 20-1, Perhaps a Pie paid $42.40 for a $2 win ticket, $18 for place and $7.80 for show. Running second was Chronologic’sghost paying $8.60 and $4.40 at about 10-1 and All Star Bub ran third paying $3.40 at 2-1.
The first-place purse for the race was $35,750, $13,000 for second, $9,750 for third, $4,875 for fourth and $1,625.
