America's Tale gets first stakes win in Safely Kept

America's Tale outsprinted the competition for the lead in the $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday, then turned back a strong bid from the favored Estilo Femenino in the stretch to score by two lengths in the seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.

America's Tale, based at Churchill Downs with trainer Bernie Flint, was scoring her second consecutive victory and her first in a stakes. She paid $9 and covered the course in 1:23.97.

America's Tale clicked off fractions of 22.56 and 46.11 while being tracked by Majestic Reason and Estilo Femenino. In upper stretch, Estilo Femenino may have put a head in front, but America's Tale battled back under Trevor McCarthy and proved strongest.

Majestic Reason finished third, 3 1/4 lengths behind Estilo Femenino. Special Relativity, a close second choice in the betting, was bumped hard at the start and finished last.

The win was the third from the first five races on the card for McCarthy.

"She relaxed nice for me," McCarthy said. "When we had some company turning for home, she dug in pretty good."

America's Tale, a daughter of Gio Ponti, is owned by Naveed Chowhan, who was on hand for the race.

"We've always been glad to have her," Chowhan said. "She got sick on us at Fair Grounds, and then we thought she might be a turf filly."

In her start prior to the Smart Halo, America's Tale won a second-level optional claimer going a mile at Churchill by 5 1/4 lengths.

Smart Halo: Congrats Gal draws off

Congrats Gal made short work of her six opponents in the $100,000 Smart Halo Stakes, pulling away in the stretch to score by 6 3/4 lengths.

The win gave the 2-year-old daughter of Congrats a record of three wins from five starts. She also has wins in maiden and optional-claiming company at Laurel.

In her two losses, she finished third in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga and second in the White Clay Creek at Delaware Park. The White Clay Creek was won by Jaywalk, who went on to win the Grade 1 Frizette and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Purchased by owner Charles Biggs for $57,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. April auction of 2-year-olds in training, Congrats Gal is based at Laurel with trainer Cal Lynch. She paid $2.60 to win and was timed for six furlongs in 1:10.94 over a “good” track in blustery fall conditions.

Never far back in the Smart Halo, Congrats Gal lodged a three-wide bid on the turn after the early leaders, Questionoftheday and Mae Never No. She came away with the lead entering the stretch and drew off under a vigorous ride by McCarthy.

Our Super Freak, who raced four wide on the far turn, was up for second in deep stretch. Mae Never No bested Questionoftheday for third by three-quarters of a length while finishing a half-length behind Our Super Freak.

Love My Honey, whom Mike Maker sent in from Kentucky, stumbled badly and ducked inward at the start, almost unseating Horacio Karamanos, who briefly lost his irons. Love My Honey finished seventh and last.

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