Sugar Shock rolls to win as favorite in Panthers Stakes

ALTOONA, Iowa – Heavily favored Sugar Shock ($2.40) shrugged off challenges from three of her rivals to register a controlled 1 1/4-length win in Saturday's $75,000 Panthers Stakes, a one-mile event for 3-year-old fillies.

Let Her Dance, who took the Goldfinch Stakes here April 26, applied early pressure after Sugar Shock broke on top and set her own fractions of 23.70 seconds and 47.10 under jockey Channing Hill. Eventual third-place finisher Phaniebdancing advanced steadily to get within a head of Sugar Shock entering the far turn. Dream Spinner, who finished a willing second, made a sustained bid up the rail, which forced Hill's hand as the pair reached the three-sixteenths pole. Sugar Shock nicely responded to his cue, and the pair went on to cover a muddy mile in 1:37.36.

Collecting $45,000 for On Cloud Nine LLC, Sugar Shock, victorious April 5 in Oaklawn's Grade 3 Fantasy, ran her stellar 2014 record to 4 for 6 for earnings of $392,800. The Candy Ride filly, trained locally by Doug Anderson, is a likely entrant June 28 in the Grade 3 $200,000 Iowa Oaks.

Jessica's Star, making his stakes debut for trainer Michael Stidham, rallied five wide when prompted by the meet's leading rider, David Mello, and held on for a neck victory in Saturday's co-featured $75,000 Prairie Mile.

Besting five 3-year-old colts and geldings, Jessica's Star ($7.40), a Magna Graduate gelding, made his trek up from Churchill Downs worthwhile by earning $45,000 for owner Mark Breen.

Tairneach, a ThistleDown shipper trained by Michael McKenzie, was in contention throughout and stayed on doggedly to run second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Smack Smack's rail rally.

Over a track listed as muddy that was sealed following Sugar Shock's Panthers win, Jessica's Star got the distance in 1:37.88.