Drexel Hill kicked off her 4-year-old campaign with a professional 1 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Wayward Lass Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, ending her personal and trainer’s recent rash of second-place finishes.  Drexel Hill won for the first time since captured the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct last March. Since then, she’s only raced twice, finishing second in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in May and second in the Grade 2 Mother Goose at Aqueduct in November.  Further, Whit Beckman, trainer of Drexel Hill, had nine second-place finishes in his last 29 starters since his last victory.  Drexel Hill was the class on paper and sent off the overwhelming 3-5 favorite in a field of six. The lone issue was Drexel Hill’s closing running style that seemed might be compromised by a lack of pace in the Wayward Lass.  :: Celebrating 100 Years of racing at Tampa Bay Downs! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Jockey Ben Curtis had Drexel Hill within three lengths of the pacesetting Andrea, who had hopped in the air at the start, through an opening quarter of 24.57 seconds. After running a half-mile in 49.01 seconds, Andrea gave way to Runaway Diva.  Curtis followed that move, and Drexel Hill took over from Runaway Diva in upper stretch and gradually drew clear. Runaway Diva finished second by 6 1/4 lengths over Ultimate Authority. Early On was fourth followed by Rosario’s Prayer and Andrea.   Drexel Hill, a daughter of Bolt d’Oro owned by Legion Racing, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.96 and returned $3.20.  “This was a nice spot just to get her back on track,” Curtis said in a post-race interview broadcast on America’s Day at the Races. “Obviously, a little bit shorter than what would be her best [distance] and we didn’t go very quick so I kind of had to adapt to that because normally she likes to come running at them. We were walking, so I put her up there early. She doesn’t do a lot when she gets to the front … she gets there and gears herself down. I had to keep [after] her.”  Beckman, who watched the race from Kentucky before boarding a plane to Fair Grounds for important Sunday workouts, was happy to see Drexel Hill race closer to the pace and be effective.  “Hopefully, that’s a pattern established, a horse a little more interested in being closer and winning,” Beckman said.  Beckman said he would point Drexel Hill to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park on April 11.  Tessellate wins Gasparilla  Tessellate may not have been as dominant as she was in her last outing, but she was effective nonetheless, rallying wide in the stretch under Edgard Zayas to take the $125,000 Gasparilla Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 2 3/4 lengths.  In a cavalry charge behind Tessellate, it was Lady Valor who got up for second by a neck over Ridgie. Love Like Lucy finished fourth followed by Lightscape and the pace-setting Gerrards Cross.  Tessellate was sent off the 4-5 favorite – she actually clicked up from 3-5 late – off a 13-length victory in the Juvenile Fillies Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 15. That day, Tessellate sat a perfect trip behind dueling leaders before inhaling the pair in the stretch and winning wrapped up.  Saturday, Tessellate again sat third though it was Gerrards Cross who had the lead, setting fractions of 21.86 seconds and 44.64 seconds under Sonny Leon chased by Love Like Lucy.  Zayas had Tessellate in third, swung her three- to four-wide turning for home. Tessellate overtook Gerrards Cross in midstretch and gradually pulled away.  Tessellate, a daughter of McKinzie trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.58 and returned $3.80 to win. Tesselate is owned by Magic Cap Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch, Castle Gate Farm, and BAG Racing.  Tessellate has now won three of five starts. One of her losses came going a mile in the Hallandale Beach at Gulfstream in September. Tessellate may get another shot going long in a race like the one-mile-and-40-yard Suncoast Stakes on Feb. 7 at Tampa.  “We tried her long once and it didn't work, but she may not have been mature enough at that point,” Braverman said in a televised interview on America’s Day at the Races. “At this time of year, you've got to give them a chance. It's Saffie's call still and we'd love to stretch her out, but my guess is we'll try two turns next time.”  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.