River Downs: Dixie Dreamer wins stretch duel

Dixie Dreamer got the best of She Says It Best in a stretch-long duel when giving veteran trainer Mike Estes the richest victory of his career in the $100,000 Bassinet Stakes.

Always close under Marco Ccamaque, Dixie Dreamer engaged front-running She Says It Best leaving the turn before edging clear to prevail by a head. The winner returned $44.20 as the second-longest shot in a field of seven 2-year-old fillies.

Estes, based at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, said the Bassinet win was the biggest in a career that has spanned "30 years, off and on." Estes said Dixie Dreamer, a Florida-bred Mutakddim filly, may race next at the Keeneland meet that starts Oct. 7.

She Says It Best, the 5-2 second choice under Craig Perret, finished seven lengths ahead of third-place finisher High Heritage. Readyforcocktails, the 9-10 favorite, was another 1 3/4 lengths back in fourth, followed by the 3-1 third choice, Somethinaboutbetty.

Dixie Dreamer, owned by the Miklin Stable of Mike Carpenter, had won one of three previous starts and had most recently finished third in the Mountaineer Park Juvenile Fillies.

The winning time for the six-furlong distance was 1:09.60 over a fast track, the fastest six-furlong clocking of the meet.