B C Z Middleton adapts to new surroundings in Princess of Palms
PHOENIX – B C Z Middleton, who had been knocking on the door in good outings at Golden Gate Fields and Oak Tree at Pleasanton this summer, took to her new surroundings and captured Saturday’s $30,000 Princess of Palms Stakes at Turf Paradise in her first start at the track.
B C Z Middleton ($5), a daughter of Nobiz like Showbiz owned by William Burns and Rebecca Turcott and trained by Jeff Metz, broke sharply under Eswan Flores as the 3-2 favorite in the six-furlong main track event for fillies and mares. She showed speed to stalk as Zenita shot out to a clear lead, moved closer as Zenita went a fast half-mile in 44.19 seconds, took over from that tiring rival into the lane, opened up, and stayed on well to keep hard-charging Queen Kate at bay, winning by 1 3/4 lengths. Queen Kate, seventh in this same race last year and an outsider coming off a dull fifth at Canterbury Park on Sept. 8, was last early after a slow start, still last coming into the lane while wide and finished well for second. Kera Kera, a winner of four of her eight prior starts here and coming off a third in a route stakes at Prairie Meadows on Aug. 13 and the second choice at 8-5, sat fourth early, tried to make a run into the lane but ended up a non-threatening third in the field reduced to five after a couple scratches.
B C Z Middleton ran the distance in 1:10.52. The winner’s share of $18,600 gives her earnings of $105,932 from 5 wins in 20 starts.