T Rex Express has first stakes win in My Sister Pearl

T Rex Express became a stakes winner Saturday night at Charles Town, where she led throughout to capture the $50,000 My Sister Pearl by nine lengths.

Rock n’ Gold ran second, while it was another 3 1/4 lengths back to March Wind in third.

The My Sister Pearl was a 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares bred in West Virginia.

T Rex Express ($5.20), who had placed in five stakes prior to her start in the My Sister Pearl, took quick command of the race run around three turns. She set fractions of 24.34 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.59 for the half-mile and 1:14.28 for six furlongs, with Rock n’ Gold in chase mode. T Rex Express shuttled clear through the stretch, while covering the distance on a fast track in 1:52.65.

Gerald Almodovar was aboard for trainer Jeff Runco, who saddled four winners on the card. Runco is approaching a milestone of 4,000 career Thoroughbred wins in North America, it was announced at Charles Town. He was at 3,990 wins through the close of racing Saturday.

T Rex Express came into the My Sister Pearl off two runner-up finishes in stakes won by Moonlit Song, who is 8 for 11 in 2017.

T Rex Express is a daughter of Warrior’s Reward and races for David Raim. She has now won eight of 19 starts, and the first-place check of $30,000 she earned Saturday pushed her career bankroll to $215,585. T Rex Express is a half-sister to Partly Mocha, a multiple stakes winner who has earned $536,238.