Forty on Line wires field in Miesque
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Forty on Line has made a quick impression in this country. A maiden when she arrived from England during the summer, Forty on Line is now 2 for 2 in the United States after a front-running win in Friday's $200,000 Miesque Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Hollywood Park.
Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Forty on Line ($43) was not challenged until late, when Riskaverse got within a length, the margin at the finish. Forty on Line finished a mile on turf in 1:36.38. The stakes win came a five weeks after she won a maiden race on turf at Santa Anita in her U.S. debut.
Forty on Line set fractions of 24.80 and 49.06 seconds, leading by a length on the backstretch. It was a change in strategy from her maiden win, when she raced in mid-pack before launching her rally.
In Friday's race, she was never headed and pulled clear by three lengths in early stretch. Trained by Bob Hess Jr., Forty on Line earned $120,000 for the partnership of Cohen, Sigband, and Ulmer.
Riskaverse, the winner of the Miss Grillo Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 4, held second, a head in front of Daisyago. The disappointments in the field of 10 were La Martina and Stylelistick, who were sent off at even-money as an entry and finished fourth and ninth, respectively.
Nunatall, trained by Bobby Frankel, was withdrawn early Friday as a stakes scratch, which does not require an excuse.
* Favorite Funtime gave jockey Victor Espinoza his first stakes win of the autumn meeting in Friday's $102,250 Cat's Cradle Handicap for California-bred fillies and mares.
Leading throughout, Favorite Funtime ($5.80) held off a determined rally by Feverish to prevail by a length, finishing 7 1/2 furlongs in 1:28.03. Queenie Belle was third in the field of five.
Cee's Elegance, who was expected to challenge for the lead, was scratched early Friday.
Trained by Bob Baffert for Golden Eagle Farm, Favorite Funtime won her second stakes of the year in the Cat's Cradle. At Del Mar, the 4-year-old filly won the restricted Piedra Foundation Handicap.