Awesomesauce uses dramatic last-to-first move to take Vivacious
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Awesomesauce made her first start in the state of her birth a winning one with a dramatic rally to win the $75,000 Vivacious Stakes for Ohio-bred fillies and mares on the turf Friday at Belterra Park.
Awesomesauce ($3.20) and Gabe Saez were last in the field of 11 at the first call. Up front, Lionistic was pressed by Carmel Rose through a sharp opening quarter of 21.95 seconds. Lionistic’s second quarter was more moderate, as she shook off that foe and clocked the opening half in 47.48, and came around the far turn with a three-length lead, through six furlongs in 1:10.91.
Meanwhile, Awesomesauce, still 10th after the half-mile, had worked her way to fifth on the turn, and continued to progress with a four-wide sweep. Once straightened away, she had dead aim on Lionistic, and came with a rush to win by 2 1/2 lengths, going away.
Lionistic was easily best of the rest, finishing 1 1/4 lengths clear of La Artista in third.
The time for the 1 1/16 miles on turf rated firm was 1:42.26.
Awesomesauce has now won three of seven career starts for Joe Sharp, while previously competing against open company.
She scored maiden and allowance wins on the Fair Grounds turf, and came to Ohio after finishing sixth in the Keertana at Churchill Downs.
In other stakes action Friday on the Belterra turf, Striking Lady ($10.20) led throughout under Jason Simpson for a 2 1/2-length victory over males in the $75,000 Horizon Stakes, for Ohio-accredited 3-year-olds. The filly, trained by Ricardo Bailey, has now won three straight, including the off-the-turf Cincinnatian last month.
Friday’s action was rounded out by a pair of $75,000 stakes for statebred juveniles. Favored Book Value ($3) rolled by 5 1/2 lengths in the Hoover Stakes with Erik Barbaran in the irons for Robert Gorham. Motownsnojoke ($11.60), with David Haldar up for Justin Radosevich, sprang a mild upset in the sister race, the Jim Morgan Memorial Tah Dah. She finished the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.13 — 0.12 faster than the males.
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