She’s only 2, but Super Dixie already is making her mark at Emerald Downs.
With Juan Gutierrez riding, Super Dixie turned back a bid from Light of a Star into the stretch, and held sway to capture the $50,000 Angie C. Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Sunday.
Super Dixie won by two lengths in the first stakes event of the season for juveniles.
The win gave trainer Doris Harwood her 23rd all-time stakes victory at Emerald, tying her for fourth place on the track’s list.
Relaxing nicely under Gutierrez, Super Dixie sprinted clear in the opening strides, got a small breather on the turn, and had enough energy late for the victory. The winner ran 6 furlongs in 1:10 3/5 and paid $6, $3.80 and $3.40.
“She was going well on the lead, and we felt pressure (from Light of a Star) at the top of the stretch,” Gutierrez said. “I pushed her at that point, and we had enough to get to the wire. She gave me everything she had today.”
A Kentucky-bred by Dixie Union out of the Emerald Downs stakes-winning mare Youcan’ttakeme, Super Dixie earned $24,750 to increase her earnings to $34,925.
All the Rage, ridden by Seth Martinez, rallied from eighth to finish second and returned $16 and $8. Light of a Star was a neck back in third and paid $11.20 for show.
She’s a Sweetie was fourth, and was followed by Le Weaver, Shamus On Me, 6-5 betting favorite Cherokee Echo, Wavy Road and Savanna’s Makor. Frank Lucarelli trains the second, third and fourth place finishers.
Gutierrez said he thought Super Dixie might be behind Cherokee Echo early, but that filly was fractious in the gate and never got untracked in the race.
Harwood and Sarkowsky said Super Dixie would remain at Emerald Downs for upcoming stakes, perhaps beginning with the Knights Choice Stakes on Aug. 9.
NOTES: Seth Martinez rode five winners on the 10-race card — already the third jockey to accomplish the feat this season. Kevin Radke rode five winners June 8 and Gallyn Mitchell had five wins on June 21. Martinez is the 11th different rider to win five in a day at Emerald Downs. … Olympic Lights ($6.40) ran the fastest 6 furlongs of the meet, 1:08 1/5, while winning the ninth race by 10 lengths. … Anotation continued his rapid improvement at with a one-length victory over Sea Speaker in Saturday’s $20,000 allowance feature for 3-year-olds. With Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo riding, Anotation ran one-mile in a very respectable 1:35 4/5 on a fast track. The winner paid $15, $5.40 and $3.80. Anotation has won two straight races after beginning his career last month with a third-place finish in a 6-furlong maiden race. Last Saturday’s race was his first around two turns, and the California-bred gelding by Memo showed that he could be a factor in stakes events later this season. … Trainer Blaine Wright continued his hot streak with his second-straight two-win day and now is 16 for 64 for the season. … Racing resumes Thursday with first post at 6 p.m.
