Christmas gives chalk players an early gift in Jim Morgan Memorial Tah Dah Stakes
Christmas showed up in July to win the first stakes of her nascent career in the $75,000 Jim Morgan Memorial Tah Dah Stakes for Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies on Friday at Belterra Park.
Christmas won her debut on May 31 at Thistledown, defeating Candlelight Hours by 4 1/4 lengths while going 4 1/2 furlongs. She stretched out to 5 1/2 furlongs for the Tah Dah, and was part of a favored coupled entry with fellow maiden winners Pacific Coast and Parfait.
Christmas broke a step slowly under Santiago Gonzalez but quickly recovered, and on the turn she overhauled Candlelight Hours and Crossed Up to take the lead. The outcome was never in doubt from there, as Christmas took a two-length lead into the stretch and maintained that margin to the wire. Her final time on the fast track was 1:07.45.
Candlelight Hours was again second to Christmas, three lengths clear of Quality Bet. They were followed by Mariposa Rapids, Kenzielu, Crossed Up, Pacific Coast and Parfait.
Christmas paid $2.60 to win.
Christmas is owned by WinStar, trainer Tim Hamm’s Blazing Meadows Farm, and Michael Lewis. Christmas is a daughter of WinStar Farm’s young classic sire Constitution, and was bred by WinStar and Blazing Meadows Farm.