Punchy Girl takes Rainbow Miss; Whelen Springs wins Rainbow

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Punchy Girl ran down a loose-on-the-lead Derby Day Lassie to become a stakes winner Saturday in the $150,000 Rainbow Miss at Oaklawn Park.

The six-furlong race was the first of two stakes on the card. The $150,000 Rainbow was won by Whelen Springs ($15). The races were for 3-year-olds bred in Arkansas.

Punchy Girl ($11.60) settled off the pace set by Derby Day Lassie, who was clear through an opening quarter in 21.47 seconds and a half-mile in 45.41. The eventual winner rallied through the lane to get by the leader, then held off a fast-closing Pattern Bet for a head win. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third to Derby Day Lassie.

Punchy Girl covered six furlongs on a fast track in 1:12.09.

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Elvin Gonzalez was aboard the winner for trainer Jason Barkley. Sara Patterson owns the daughter of Street Strategy, who was making her first start against winners after taking a maiden special weight over 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 25 at Oaklawn.

Gramercy Park stumbled badly at the start of the Rainbow Miss, unseating jockey Gabe Saez. Both recovered quickly, with Saez jumping to his feet and returning to win the Rainbow for the connections of Gramercy Park.

Saez and Whelan Springs stalked the early Rainbow pace set by Bettys Cash, who took the field through an opening quarter in 22.10 seconds and a half-mile in 45.59. Whelen Springs moved to the lead from between horses and went on to open up on the field in the later stages, while covering six furlongs in 1:10.23.

Saez was aboard for Shortleaf Stable and trainer John Ortiz.

Whelen Springs won by five lengths over Ev’s Sherman. It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Bettys Cash.

Whelen Springs was making his first start against winners, after taking a maiden special weight sprint by a head on March 26 at Oaklawn. He is a son of Street Sense and the Grade 3-winning mare Holy Nova and was bred by Shortleaf Stable.

Racing resumes Sunday.