Stays in Vegas earns third straight stakes win in Pike Place Dancer

Stays in Vegas maintained her perfect Northern California stakes record, notching her third straight stakes win in the $75,105 Pike Place Dancer on Sunday at Golden Gate Fields.

Stays in Vegas ($2.40) won the Juan Gonzalez at Pleasanton in her racing debut and then captured the Wine Country Debutante at Santa Rosa in her second start. While she was no match for stablemate Songbird, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly winner and lock for the Eclipse Award, in the Del Mar Debutante, Stays in Vegas rebounded with a win in the Surfer Girl on turf at Santa Anita.

Stays in Vegas, a daughter of City Zip broke in a bit of a tangle, according to jockey Alex Solis, who then let her settle off the pace.

Reckless Charm set an easy pace in the one-mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies with Corps de Ballet stalking her in a relaxed fashion.

Solis began to move Stays in Vegas on the second turn as he moved out to the three path. They quickly moved into contention as Corps de Ballet took over from a tiring Reckless Charm leaving the quarter pole.

But Stays in Vegas was rolling and went past Corps de Ballet with no trouble and continued on to the wire with little encouragement from Solis. She defeated stablemate Kiss N Scat by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:38.01.

Kiss N Scat rallied from last and also passed Corps de Ballet with ease, defeating her by three-quarters of a length.

“You can do anything with her. She’s just a plain, good filly,” said Solis, who couldn’t have ridden her with any more confidence. “She’s good on any surface, but she’s very strong on the grass.”

Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains the $40,000 Keeneland yearling purchase for Jungle Racing LLC, KMN Racing LLC, and LNJ Foxwoods, said he had considered sending Stays in Vegas to run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but didn’t want to ship her that far.

“She still had to ship here, but it was a better spot,” he said. “Once she gets to see daylight, she really gets into stride.”

Stays in Vegas earned $45,000 to increase her lifetime earnings to $175,600.

Hollendorfer said that Stays in Vegas might run next in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante at one mile on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 28 or the Grade 1 Starlet at 1 1/16 miles on dirt next month at Los Alamitos.