Ema Bovary makes it four straight

ALBANY, Calif. - Ema Bovary ($5.20) won her fourth straight stakes race, capturing the $61,250 Camilla Urso Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.

The 4-year-old Chilean-bred filly sat behind a wall of five horses into the turn in the six-furlong sprint as jockey Roberto Gonzalez waited for room to run. He moved to the inside around the turn then made a quick three-wide move at the top of the lane, splitting Pheiffer and Just Bill Me.

"Look at that little hole she went through," Gonzalez said watching the replay. "I just pointed her to the hole and said, 'Let's go.' "

She opened up though the lane, defeating Devil Dancing by four lengths in 1:08.76. Pheiffer, winner of the C H Russell Handicap in her last start, was third.

"Not bad for just a gallop," Gonzalez said of the final time.

Ema Bovary, a $60,000 purchase, was last in her U.S. debut in the Richmond Handicap on Feb. 16. She wheeled badly coming out of the gate and nearly went through the temporary rail on the gap.

She hasn't lost since, edging Lacie Girl by a nose in the Soviet Problem and then winning two sprint stakes at Emerald Downs.

"She's the most exciting horse I've ever had," trainer Larry Ross said. "She does like the mud, too, so that didn't hurt today."

Ross isn't sure where she'll run next.

Ema Bovary has won seven of 12 starts. Sunday's victory was worth $33,800, lifting her career earnings to $121,322.