Hawthorne: Sasy Ms Elizabeth, Rambling Richie take stakes

STICKNEY, Ill. – Heavily favored Sasy Ms Elizabeth resolutely wore down pace-setting Richies Sweetheart to win the Showtime Deb Stakes and deny jockey E.T. Baird and trainer Larry Rivelli a sweep of the pair of Illinois-bred 2-year-old stakes on Saturday at Hawthorne.

Baird and Rivelli earlier in the day had captured the Sun Power Stakes with front-running Rambling Richie, who pushed clear late to beat favored Solar Flair by 2 1/2 lengths. Rambling Richie, a son of Lifestyle bred by Rivelli and Richard Ravin and owned by those two and Patricia Hope, had won a maiden race on Arlington’s synthetic surface in his most recent start. He handled dirt with equal aplomb Saturday, completing six furlongs in 1:11.04 and paying $6.80 to win in a field of just five.

Richies Sweetheart, winner of a $30,000 claiming race at Keeneland last out, attempted to mirror the performance of Rambling Richie, gunning to the lead under Baird and setting splits of 21.82 and 45.41 with Sasy Ms Elizabeth in hot pursuit. The Showtime Deb came down to those two in the stretch, and Sasy Ms Elizabeth, with Emanuel Cosme in the irons, came home willingly outside the leader and was pulling away late to win by two lengths. Cow Catcher finished a distant third.

Sasy Ms Elizabeth got the six furlongs in 1:12.

Sasy Ms Elizabeth, winner of the All Sold Out at Fairmount Park in her most recent start, paid just $4 to win. The daughter of Giacomo is trained by Leroy Hellman, who owns the gray filly with Betty and Tom Ninnis.