Destino d’Oro, in winning two of her first three starts and just missing a graded-stakes score in her lone loss, looked like a very nice deep-closing turf-route filly. On Sunday, in the Pucker Up at Ellis Park, Destino d’Oro revealed a new tactical dimension and looked like an even better horse running away to a 3 3/4-length victory. Breaking smoothly from post 3 under Luan Machado, Destino d’Oro, without being asked, cruised up to sit second behind the filly who left from the stall just inside her, Drop the Hammer. Drop the Hammer went an opening quarter in 23.19, Destino d’Oro just a length behind her, then quickened the pace into the far turn, opening up a lead of about three lengths. Machado bided his time around the bend, Destino d’Oro creeping closer to the leader, then collared her at the three-sixteenths pole after turning for home. Destino d’Oro changed leads a few strides later and was gone, an easy, impressive winner of the Grade 3, $400,000 Pucker Up. Tenth, 10th, and ninth at the first call of her first three races – two wins and a narrow defeat last fall in the Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland – Destino d’Oro not only handled the tactical shift, she benefited from it. “I was quite surprised she was closer this time,” Machado said “She’s been working amazing the last couple weeks. That’s why I was confident where I was.” Hereforagoodtime closed from eighth to nab second by a neck over Admit. Destino d’Oro, who paid $4.10, ran 1 1/8 miles on a firm course in 1:45.64. Brad Cox trains Destino d’Oro for Steve Landers Racing, and Destino d’Oro is by Bolt d’Oro out of Heart of Destiny, by Lion Heart. She debuted last summer at Kentucky Downs with a good-looking maiden win and surely has the $2 million Dueling Ground Oaks over 10 1/2 furlongs there Sept. 10 as a near-term goal. About a month later, the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup comes up at Keeneland. From deep closer to pacepressing graded-stakes winner – Destino d’Oro might well be destined for Grade 1 success. Ladies Turf Mile Preview Simply In Front won her 4-year-old debut, the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill in May, as a 15-1 shot. That was no fluke. A solid fifth in the Grade 1 Just a Game at Saratoga, Simply in Front went last to first to land the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Mile Preview on Sunday at Ellis Park. Still just seventh of eight at the stretch call while stuck out in the middle of the turf course, Simply In Front was going best through the wire and came out atop a six-horse blanket finish. Amber Cascade, racing first off a Mike Maker claim, dead-heated in her turf debut with Pharoah’s Wine. Lapped onto them were Waves of Mischief, Summerintahoe and Austere, six fillies and mares separated by less than one length at the end of a one-mile grass race. Simply In Front, ridden by Luan Machado for Colebrook Farms and trainer Eddie Kenneally, won the $1.76 million Music City Classic last season at Kentucky Downs and should fit snugly into the $2 million Ladies Turf there on Aug. 30. Now a five-time winner from 14 starts, Simply in Front is by Summer Front out of Complicated, by Blame. She’s the leading earner, by a wide margin, for Summer Front, and with Sunday’s victory her career earnings went over the $2 million mark. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.