Tweedside wins in a photo

ELMONT, N.Y. - Tweedside prefers being the hunter, not the hunted, and though she found herself in both roles during the course of Saturday's $150,000 at Belmont Park, she was able to save just enough to capture the Grade 2 race from late-running Sweetest Thing.

Tweedside sat in a perfect spot, third on the rail, for the first nine furlongs of the 1 3/8-mile grass race. She took command with a strong turn of foot at the top of the stretch, then was all out to prevail under jockey John Velazquez. She beat Sweetest Thing by a nose, with Golden Corona another nose back in third.

With the victory, Tweedside was able to avenge a loss to Sweetest Thing in the Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland on April 25. On that day, Tweedside led early, then was steamrolled by Sweetest Thing, who won by 3 1/2 lengths.

"Last time she found herself on the lead because it was a paceless race. It's not where she wants to be," said Todd Pletcher, who trains Tweedside for Laura and Eugene Melnyk. "Things worked out today like we thought it would, but she got to loafing around on the lead. John thought the horse in front would kick on, and when she didn't, he got to the lead sooner than he wanted."

Refugee led early, through fractions of 23.51 seconds, 47.66, 1:12.61, and 1:37.43 for the first mile. Tweedside finished the 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:13.63. Tweedside, sent off at 11-1 by the crowd of 8,328, paid $25.60 to win.

Tweedside has now won graded stakes on both turf and dirt at Belmont. Last year, she captured the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. The 4-year-old daughter of Thunder Gulch has won six times in 15 starts.

Sweetest Thing, the 7-5 favorite, was last with three furlongs remaining, was taken to the middle of the course for the final drive, and closed furiously under jockey Mark Guidry. "I had to go outside everyone, and that wound up costing us the race," Guidry said.

* Earlier Saturday, Dubai Tiger, the Godolphin Racing-owned 3-year-old colt named for Tiger Woods, won a maiden race in his fourth career start. Dubai Tiger, a $1.8 million yearling purchase, won the 1 1/8-mile race by 7 1/2 lengths. Also, Godolphin's Street Cry, the winner of the Dubai World Cup, breezed seven furlongs in 1:25.02 on Saturday morning.