Dina dictates slow pace

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - In the paddock, prior to the running of Saturday's Rare Treat Handicap at Aqueduct, jockey Eibar Coa asked assistant trainer Steve Moyer if it was okay to put their filly, Dina, on the lead.

"He's the leading rider here; I said 'Just do what you got to do,' '' said Moyer, the assistant to trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

What Coa did was hustle Dina out of the gate, set a pedestrian pace, and then draw off to a 4 1/4-length victory over Daytime Promise in the $70,175 Rare Treat. Dina ($6.50) covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.33.

It was only the third victory in 21 career starts for Dina, a 5-year-old daughter of Dynaformer owned and bred by Philip Birsh. The win also broke a 10-race losing streak dating back to April 14, 2006.

Dina set fractions of 24.54 seconds, 49.08, and 1:13.21 for the opening six furlongs with A Bit of Pressure chasing her the entire way. Coming into the stretch, Dina spurted away from a weakening A Bit of Pressure and was never seriously challenged thereafter. Daytime Promise rallied to get second by 1 1/4 lengths over A Bit of Pressure.

"It was my plan,'' said Coa, who won two races on Saturday and now has a meet-leading 73 for the winter. "I knew that I really had nothing to lose," explaining he didn't think Rudy Rodriguez on A Bit of Pressure was going to challenge for the lead. "I thought as soon as he saw me there he was going to give me a break and I was going to take advantage of it.''