Azalea: Victorina a graded winner

MIAMI - Lost in the Fog may have gotten most of the attention this week, but his younger stablemate Victorina went back to California a graded stakes winner herself after rallying to a 1 1/2-length decision in the Grade 3, $300,000 for 3-year-old fillies.

Victorina dropped back into the pack after a very alert start,

commenced her rally leaving the backstretch, angled inside the drifting leader Frolicing near midstretch, and won going away under regular rider Russell Baze. Frolicing set the pace and continued gamely to cross the finish line second despite bearing out badly around the final bend and through the stretch. She was ultimately disqualified and placed third for interfering with G City Gal.

Victorina, like Lost in the Fog, is trained by Greg Gilchrist for owner Harry Aleo.

She paid $5.60 as the favorite after running six furlongs in 1:11.51.

"She got in a lot of trouble in her last start," said Gilchrist, referring to Victorina's third-place finish in the one-mile Dogwood Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. "That was

probably my fault, because I told Russell to take her back and try finishing since it was her first time going a mile. We wanted to find something out that day, and we did."

Gilchrist said the biggest problem in the Azalea was avoiding the drifting Frolicing.

"Russell said he tried to wait to figure out what the other filly was going to do," Gilchrist said. "I knew shortening up to six furlongs we were going to have to come from way behind like that."

Gilchrist said he would not make any immediate plans for Victorina but mentioned the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga as an option.