Two Trail Sioux gets easy lead in Fleur de Lis

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Saturday's Grade 2, $330,000 at Churchill Downs essentially ended a few strides out of the gate.

Two Trail Sioux, taking advantage of other speed horses being rated and Island Stand hopping at the break, shot out to a commanding lead and won by a length in a brave performance under Hall of Fame rider Pat Day.

In contrast to her last race in the Louisville Breeders' Cup on May 6, when Two Trail Sioux experienced a rough trip and was unable to make the lead, things went favorably for her in the Fleur de Lis. Day allowed her to run freely after an alert break, and although she set quick fractions in the 1 1/8-mile race of 23.26 seconds, 46.77 and 1:11.26 - she raced unchallenged early.

The field began to rapidly advance on Two Trail Sioux leaving the turn, but Day had something saved for the stretch run. After her opponents pulled within a head of her in midstretch, she inched cleared late under Day's urging. She was timed over a fast track in 1:48.53, just off the stakes record of 1:48.26 established by Heritage of Gold in 2000. She paid $9.80.

Storm's Darling rallied on the outside for second in a blanket finish, edging Rare Gift and La Reason in a three-way photo for the place.

The one-two finishers from last month's Louisville Breeders' Cup Handicap, Shadow Cast and Island Sand, never challenged. Shadow Cast was dull throughout, finishing fifth. Island Sand flattened out to sixth after reaching contention on the final turn following her poor start.

Two Trail Sioux, a 4-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie owned by John Gunther and Don Winton, recorded her first graded stakes win in the Fleur de Lis. Prior to finishing eighth in last month's Louisville Breeders' Cup Handicap, she had won five races in a row for trainer Wally Dollase, capped by the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes at Oaklawn Park April 10.