Dame Dorothy overcomes stumble to remain perfect

When Dame Dorothy stumbled at the start of the $200,000 Turnback the Alarm at Belmont Park on Sunday, it looked like her chance to win the 1 1/16-mile race and remain unbeaten had gone out the window. But Dame Dorothy recovered quickly under Javier Castellano, stalked pacesetters Flores Island and Teen Pauline, and held off Catch My Drift in the stretch to win by a half-length.

Owned by Bobby Flay and trained by Todd Pletcher, Dame Dorothy is now 4 for 4. The victory in the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm was her first in a graded stakes.

"On the backside, I had to steady a little bit and tried to angle her outside and keep her in the clear," Castellano told the New York Racing Association’s communications department. "That was the key to winning the race. I've always liked her; she does things the right way."

Dame Dorothy, a daughter of Bernardini, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.50 and returned $9.10. The 7-1 Catch My Drift took second, a length in front of Toasting, who finished third at 11-1 in the field of eight fillies and mares. Tapit’s World and Endless Chatter, who both went off at 3-1, finished fifth and eighth. The top two finishers were the only 3-year-olds in the field.

Pletcher said Dame Dorothy likely will run next in the Grade 3, $400,000 Comely at Aqueduct on Nov. 29.

Dame Dorothy has now won at four different tracks. She won a maiden race in her debut last November at Aqueduct, romped by 12 lengths in an optional claimer at Gulfstream Park in January, and took the Malvern Rose at Presque Isle Downs by four lengths in August.

Vision Perfect wins Awad Stakes

Earlier Sunday, Vision Perfect scored the first stakes win of his career by winning the $100,000 Awad over a yielding turf course. Vision Perfect rallied wide under Manuel Franco in the one-mile race for 2-year-olds and outkicked Zandar to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Gustnado finished third, another 1 1/2 lengths back and three lengths in front of the favored A Lot.

Vision Perfect, a Pollard’s Vision colt owned by Robert Spiegel and trained by David Donk, covered the mile in 1:39.39 and paid $6.20. Vision Perfect went into the race off a maiden victory and a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Pilgrim, both at Belmont Park.