Arlington: Sue's Good News rebounds

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - What Steve Hobby saw in Sue's Good News a year ago was on display for everyone to see in the Singapore Plate Stakes. Springing back to life after a dull race late last month in the Delaware Oaks, Sue's Good News roared up four wide in the stretch and outran Keeping the Gold to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

It was seven lengths back to Meet Me at Midnite in third, as Sue's Good News and Keeping the Gold proved much the best in the $100,000, Grade 3 Singapore Plate. Sue's Good News's performance was a far cry from her dull sixth-place finish in the Delaware Oaks.

Sue's Good News tied up before that race, and she has been bitten by poor luck the last four months. Saturday, racing several lengths behind a slow early pace, she put everything together.

"Steve told me this winter at Oaklawn, 'I got one picked out for you,' " said jockey Tim Doocy, who has been aboard Sue's Good News in all six of her starts. "She's smart. She'll wait for you. When you ask her, she's got a huge turn of foot."

Indeed, Keeping the Gold, an Illinois-bred trained by Chris Block, launched a strong rally coming off the turn, but when Doocy found room after swinging wide, Sue's Good News had the leader measured.

"I can't put it in words what it means," said Hobby, who trains Sue's Good News for the Cresran Stable of Carol Ricks and serves as the filly's daily exercise rider. "We tried a lot of new things for her here, but you don't know if they're going to work."

Sue's Good News paid $6.80 to win and completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.53, running her record to five wins in six starts.