Stays in Vegas impresses again in Wine Country Debutante

Stays in Vegas ($2.10) was just as impressive in winning her second start in the Wine Country Debutante on Friday at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa as she was in winning her debut in the Juan Gonzalez Memorial at Pleasanton.

The daughter of City Zip, owned by Jungle Racing, KMN Racing, and LNJ Foxwoods, got off a step slowly in the six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies. She was able to work her way into contention behind Ourprincessmelanie and Ride the Shark by the half-mile pole.

Midway around the far turn, jockey Ricardo Gonzalez guided Stays in Vegas to the rail toward the inside of Ourprincessmelanie and had her head in front by the quarter pole.

Gonzalez shook the reins at her at the top of the lane and gave her one right-handed tap with the whip at the eighth pole as she pulled clear from the field and won the race in 1:12.41 while being geared down.

Runninforhoody, second in the wagering at 8.40-1, was second, 3 3/4 lengths behind the winner and 3 1/4 lengths in front of Truly Ponti, who finished third in her debut.

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Stays in Vegas is 2 for 2 in her career and picked up $32,450 to increase her career earnings to $64,600. She was a $40,000 Keeneland purchase last September.