Sammy V, Ms Dixie win Arabian stakes

The favored Sammy V and Ms Dixie each returned $3 as they scored easy victories in important six-furlong Arabian stakes races Saturday at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meeting at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Defending champion Sammy V scored his fourth straight wire-to-wire victory over the past two years, defeating Ayers by 13 lengths in the $49,295, Grade 3 Sheikh Zayaed bin Sultan al Nahyan Arabian Cup while holding a daylight lead all the way under Juan Sanchez. The winning time was 1:15.99.

Ms Dixie caught Sammy V’s stablemate My Vaz Is Hot in the stretch and won the $42,700 Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Stakes by three lengths while qualifying for the Ladies World Championship for 2014. All the fillies in the race were ridden by an international field of women jockeys. Giada Menato rode the winner, who clocked 1:18.79.