Tampa Bay Downs: Dress the Part scores in Wayward Lass Stakes

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Dress the Part certainly looked the part Saturday, when she raced Clarinda into defeat after six furlongs, opened a comfortable lead under red-hot jockey Ronnie Allen Jr., then had more than enough left to maintain a safe margin late and win the $50,000 Wayward Lass Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths.

Dress the Part broke sharply, then was able to slow down the pace through a half-mile in 49.24 seconds, with Clarinda pressing from the outside and the favored Montana Native racing just off the pace.

Leaving the second turn, Allen asked Dress the Part for more, and the Tom Proctor trainee responded, opening a sizeable lead from the quarter pole to the final furlong. It was then a battle for second, as Ambusher rallied late to gain the place by half a length over Montana Native.

The win was the third straight since blinkers were added for Dress the Part, who returned $18.60 after covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.13. It was Allen’s fourth win of the afternoon.