Turfway: Blushing Dixie gets up by a neck in Fairway Fun

Blushing Dixie notched her first career stakes victory Saturday night when finally getting the best of favored Miss Luann following a lengthy stretch duel in the $50,000 Fairway Fun Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

With Shaun Bridgmohan riding for trainer Steve Margolis, Blushing Dixie prevailed by a neck, returning $9.80 as third choice in a field of five fillies and mares. Miss Luann, the race-long leader at even money, had another 1 1/2 lengths on La Gran Bailadora, the 9-5 second choice.

Blushing Dixie, a 5-year-old Dixie Union mare owned by Doug Branham, now has won 3 of 20 career starts after finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.88 over Polytrack.

The Fairway Fun was the final stakes of the winter-spring meet at Turfway, where closing day is Sunday. Live action on the Kentucky circuit stops for four days before the 15-day spring meet begins Friday at Keeneland.