Pauline's Pearl comes off bench to repeat in Houston Ladies Classic

Pauline’s Pearl won the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic for the second year in a row Saturday, when she rallied for a 1 3/4-length victory over Hidden Connection in the centerpiece of the Houston Racing Festival at Sam Houston.

The Houston Ladies Classic, for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles, was one of five stakes on the card. The program included the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup won by Scarlet Fusion ($9.80). The races were worth a combined $800,000.

Pauline’s Pearl ($10.20), who was making her first start since July, was content to settle in fourth as Hidden Connection set fractions of 24.08 for the opening quarter, 47.91 for the half-mile, and 1:12.52 for six furlongs. Pauline’s Pearl moved to the fore and went on to cover the distance on a track rated muddy in 1:45.69.

Stewart Elliott was aboard for trainer Steve Asmussen, who was winning his fourth edition of the Houston Ladies Classic.

Pauline’s Pearl is a homebred for Stonestreet Stables. The daughter of Tapit and the Grade 1-winning mare Hot Dixie Chick has now won 7 of 16 starts for career earnings of $1,873,400.

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The Connally, which was for 4-year-olds and up over 1 1/2 miles, was contested on soft turf. Scarlet Fusion was going dirt to turf and was a three-quarter length winner over Another Mystery. It was a neck back in third to Spooky Channel.

Scarlet Fusion covered the distance in 2:33.50.

Adam Beschizza was aboard the winner for trainer Joe Sharp.

Scarlet Fusion is a son of Curlin who races for Carl Moore and Brad Grady. He's from the same mare as Grade 1 winners Tara’s Tango and Visionaire. The Connally was his first stakes win.

* Andthewinneris ($6.60) captured the $100,000 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile for 3-year-olds by a head over Private Creed, who was making his two-turn debut after running third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The winner covered the distance on soft ground in 1:39.47. Corey Lanerie was aboard the son of Oscar Performance for Susan Moulton and trainer Wayne Catalano.

* Vietnam Victory ($16.80) won off a layoff in the $100,000 Groovy and Izatiz ($9.20) rolled by 7 ½ lengths in the $100,000 Bara Lass.

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