Mother of Dragons comes out on top in California Governor's Handicap photo

Favored Mother of Dragons ($6.20) dug in through the lane to edge Biddy Duke and Princess Vivian in a three-way photo to win the $58,450 California Governor's Handicap at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton on Saturday.

The 6-year-old First Dude mare stayed well off the rail as she dueled head-and-head with Left Alone early. Ridden by Jockey Julien Couton, who rode her to her initial stakes win in the 2018 Camilla Urso at Golden Gate Fields, Mother of Dragons drifted out a bit into the stretch, forcing jockey Kyle Frey and 3-year-old runner-up Biddy Duke to race very wide into the stretch.

“She's all race horse, and she really responded in the lane when challenged,” said winning owner-trainer Andreas Psarras.

It was a three-way fight through the stretch as Mother of Dragons held a half-length lead over Princess Vivian at the eighth pole. Biddy Duke proved game from the outside as the trio raced to the wire in the six-furlong sprint.

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At the wire, Mother of Dragons edged Biddy Duke by a head, with Princess Vivian the third head in the photo. The winning time was 1:01.57.

“I was definitely confident after her last race,” said Psarras of a victory after nearly three months on the sidelines in a Golden Gate allowance race with a $40,000 optional-claiming tag on May 31.

“She's been working up a storm. She doesn't need the lead but got more pressure early than I expected.”

The victory, worth $32,000, was the mare's sixth in 12 starts to go with a second and three thirds. Her career earnings are now $153,495.