Dreamarcher runs down Sweet Queen in Wine Country
Second-choice Dreamarcher sat comfortably behind the easy pace of odds-on favorite Sweet Queen before pulling away from her in the lane to win the $54,300 Wine Country Stakes on Saturday at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa.
While Sweet Queen was cantering along with leisurely fractions of 24.97 seconds, 51.38, and 1:17.06, Dreamarcher ($5) was content to sit back, rating nicely in the field of five 3-year-old fillies.
She began to move up on the second turn under Julien Couton and seemed to have Sweet Queen measured as the field turned for home. Dreamarcher pulled clear easily even though Sweet Queen had set easy fractions over the course that has a reputation of not playing well to speed. Dreamarcher pulled clear to win the 1 1/16-mile turf race by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:47.40.
Sweet Queen was an easy second, five lengths in front of Breakaway Dixie, who sat immediately behind her the entire race.
Dreamarcher, a $150,000 Ocala 2-year-old purchase last year, is a daughter of Archarcharch and owned by Red Cap Thoroughbreds, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Steve Melen, and Steve Taub. She earned $31,600 for her first stakes victory and has now earned $98,380 with 3 wins from 11 starts.