Oaklawn Park: Aragorn Ami handles dirt, two turns in Martha Washington

Aragorn Ami, whose lone previous start had produced a three-quarters length victory in a six-furlong Polytrack maiden race at Woodbine, won her two-turn, dirt, and stakes debut Saturday at Oaklawn Park, capturing the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes over Euphrosyne by 1 1/2 lengths.

Aragorn Ami wound up getting a perfect pressing trip under Norberto Arroyo Jr., who said he had worked the filly three times at Oaklawn for trainer Josie Carroll. Euphrosyne, who didn’t corner well on the clubhouse turn, led the Martha Washington through splits that turned mild, going from an opening quarter-mile in 23.77 seconds to a half in a pokey 49.08.

On paper, there were several other early-pace players, including co-favorites Kiss the Moon and Ireland, both of whom were ridden from off the pace Saturday, neither to great effect. Euphrosyne and Aragorn Ami to her outside got the best of things, gliding into the homestretch while slipping clear of their eight rivals. Aragorn Ami pushed past about a sixteenth of a mile from the short-stretch finish, drifting inside and in front of Euphrosyne in the final 50 yards, and leading to a jockey’s objection that was disallowed. She won comfortably, stopping the timer in 1:41.20 over a fast track, while paying $28.80.

Carroll, who does not often run at Oaklawn, had sent Aragorn Ami there shortly after her debut win on Dec. 15, and Aragorn Ami, a daughter of Aragorn owned by Ivan Dalos, had logged five works over the local surface.

Euphrosyne, who recently had shipped in from Fair Grounds for trainer Steve Asmussen, held second by 1 3/4 lengths over Ireland, who loomed boldly around the far turn, briefly flattened out in upper stretch, but was gaining ground again late.