Arapahoe Park: Sweet Dixie Van stretches out for CTBA Oaks

To keep her perfect record against Colorado-breds intact, Sweet Dixie Van will have to conquer two turns in her first attempt Saturday at Arapahoe Park in the $30,000 Colorado Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Oaks. The mile and 70-yard race is for 3-year-old fillies bred in Colorado. It has drawn a field of eight that includes the Kenneth Gleason-trained trio of Class Trans Action, All About Maty, and Happy Times Again.

Sweet Dixie Van comes off second by a neck against open company in the $40,000 Wafer Memorial at Arapahoe July 10. All three of Sweet Dixie Van’s wins have come against statebreds. She took an allowance in her career debut last July, the $38,000 CTBA Lassie one start later at Arapahoe, and the $19,000 Colorado Stallion Stakes two races ago this meet, on June 17.

Two turns will be a new test for Sweet Dixie Van, a daughter of the Carson City stallion Majorbigtimesheet. Majorbigtimesheet was a multiple-stakes-winning sprinter, and is a half-brother to Grade 3 winners Roll Hennessy Roll and Sing Baby Sing.

Perhaps the greater stamina source is Sweet Dixie Van’s dam, Spooner. She won at two turns while her half-brother Gold Nugget was a multiple stakes winner at the trip, earning more than $630,000.

Jose Rivera Jr. has the mount on Sweet Dixie Van for Bill Vanlandingham and trainer Tyrone Gleason.