Sir Oscar, French Village win Stallion Stakes
Sir Oscar and French Village continued their domination of the local 2-year-old divisions with odds-on victories in the second legs of the Florida Stallion Series Saturday at Calder Race Course.
Sir Oscar scored his fourth straight victory, winning the $125,000 Affirmed division by defeating 55-1 All True by one and a half lengths. It was 3 1/4 lengths back to third-place finisher Kipper's Night. A son of Halo's Image, Sir Oscar paid $3.60 and ran seven furlongs in 1:25.69 under jockey Julio Garcia. The favorite stalked the early pace while three deep in the racetrack, took over into the stretch and maintained a clear margin to the wire.
Sir Oscar, trained by Manny Azpurua, is expected to return for the $400,000 In Reality finale to the FSS series, a mile and a sixteenth race, on Oct. 11. He won the opening leg of the series, the Dr. Fager, by four lengths on Aug. 9.
French Village overcomes trouble
French Village, who took the Desert Vixen, the opening leg of the 2-year-old filly division, was an even shorter price in the $125,000 Susan's Girl. The 1-5 favorite, French Village ($2.40) had a bit of trouble out of the gate but quickly gathered herself. She contested the early pace with Family Favorite for a half-mile bevore drawing clear into the stretch and keeping a length and a half clear at the wire. Chatter Chatter was easily second best, six lengths ahead of Prohibido Olividar. The daughter of Jules covered the seven furlongs in 1:25.91 under Gary Boulanger.
Trainer Bill White, while impressed with his filly's victory, is a little reluctant about his French Village's chances in the two-turn My Dear Girl, the finale of series, also run on Oct. 11.
"Now it gets interesting," said White. "When 2-year-olds go to two turns for the first time, you're in no man's land."
Boulanger was impressed with French Village's effort. "She's a special filly," he said. "She gave me a scare coming out of [the starting gate] - she broke really hard to the outside. Then [One Smart Lady] kind of stumbled and I was right back in position. That's the first sign of a good horse - when they overcome adversity and put themselves back in a race without having to do anything but hang on to her."
* Pick of the Pack rallied from far back to outfinish Ladyinareddress by a half-length to win the $37,600 Lindsay Frolic Stakes. She paid $9 and completed one mile in 1:43.56.