Quiet Harbor wins first stakes in Grade 3 Violet

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Emerging turf star Quiet Harbor surged to victory Saturday night in the for fillies and mares at the Meadowlands.

Eighth rounding the final turn, Quiet Harbor ($23.20) angled to the far outside with Eddie Castro aboard and powered down the center of the firm course for her fourth straight win, rolling past the pacesetting Always for Love by three-quarters of a length.

"This filly keeps showing how talented she really is," said Castro, who has been aboard for all four wins in the streak. "She has a solid late kick and it seems to be getting more powerful with each start. She rated pretty nicely for me tonight and showed that late run when I asked her."

The Violet was the stakes debut for Quiet Harbor, a 4-year-old homebred for Stuart Janney III trained by Shug McGaughey. Quiet Harbor improved to 5-for-10 in what was likely her last race of the year.

"She's just getting better and better," said Buzz Tenney, McGaughey's top assistant. "I imagine this will be her last start this year and we'll bring her back at Gulfstream this winter."

The time was 1:41.68 for the 1 1/16 miles.

The Pennsylvania-bred Always for Love held onto second by a head over All Is Vanity, the 9-5 favorite who was third in last year's Violet and captured the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park in June.

Way With Words was fourth followed by Julia Tuttle, Skylighter, Lookalike, Datts Our Girl, Talkin About Love, and Dyna's Lassie.