Dixie Serenade comes from the clouds to upset Victory Ride

ELMONT, N.Y. – Dixie Serenade was so far back turning for home in Sunday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park that trainer Ed Coletti Jr. couldn’t find her.

But as Dixie Serenade gobbled up ground along the inside in the final sixteenth of a mile, Coletti spotted her making a late charge under Mychel Sanchez.

“I didn’t know that was her coming up the rail until the last couple of jumps because I lost her in the mix,” Coletti said. “I was like, ‘What the hell?’ ”

More like, “Hell yeah!”

Coletti picked up Dixie Serenade as she nailed Classy Act in the final jump to win the Victory Ride by a neck at odds of 47-1. It was a half-length farther back to Sower in third.

Separationofpowers, in her first start since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, did well to be fourth after stumbling at the break. Mia Mischief, the 6-5 favorite, was fifth, followed by Spectator, Take Charge Paula, and Norma’s Charm.

It was the fourth win from 11 starts for Dixie Serenade, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Uptowncharlybrown owned by Uptowncharlybrown Stud, an offshoot of the breeders Fantasy Lane Stable.

Dixie Serenade, the second-longest shot in the eight-horse field, returned $97.50 and triggered a pick-six carryover of $49,863 into Wednesday’s program. She ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.57.

When Coletti saw the entries for the Victory Ride, he wasn’t sure his filly was good enough to win, but he thought she could hit the board.

“There was enough speed where I thought she could come closing,” Coletti said. “Did I think she was going to win? That was probably a bit farfetched.”

Dixie Serenade was last, 10 3/4 lengths off the pace, while Mia Mischief, the 123-pound highweight under Ricardo Santana Jr., and Classy Act, carrying 117 pounds under Brian Hernandez, slugged it out through a quarter of 22.25 seconds and a half-mile in 44.63.

Sower, under Irad Ortiz Jr., looked to be getting a dream trip from third and appeared as though she was going to go by the top pair in midstretch and win her fourth consecutive race. But Sower and Mia Mischief couldn’t get by Classy Act, who ran a brave race only to be nipped late by Dixie Serenade.

Sanchez saved ground down the backside on Dixie Serenade, moved into the 2 path in upper stretch, and then dove back to the rail for the final furlong.

“The way she runs, you got to drop in, save some ground, and hopefully everything opens up, and everything opened up today,” Sanchez said. “They went fast in the beginning – that helped us.”

Coletti said he would most likely point Dixie Serenade to the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga on Aug. 4.