Unbridled Meeting survives duel

ALBANY, Calif. -- Unbridled Meeting ($6) turned back odds-on Ballistic Sue in winning a heated pace duel and had enough left in the stretch to win the CARF Debutante Stakes on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

Unbridled Meeting broke alertly under William Antongeorgi and led Ballistic Sue by a head through fractions of 21.75 and 44.81 seconds.

The pace proved too much for Ballistic Sue, who was through by the quarter pole in the six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies. Unbridled Meeting held a three-length advantage over Got an Itch at the top of the stretch and defeated her by 1 lengths in 1:13.15. Skirt and a Tie was another 5 lengths back in third.

"I wanted to get my horse out there and make sure that [Ballistic Sue] didn't get an easy lead," said Antongeorgi. "My filly kicked on and put her away. Everything went perfect."

Speedy stakes winner Izzy Rules, who would have been part of the pace scenario, scratched Saturday morning.

The victory was worth $40,300 for Unbridled Meeting, a Cal-bred daughter of Red Bullet owned by breeder Terry Lovingier and Templeton Horses. Unbridled Meeting, coming off a third in the CTBA Stakes at Del Mar, has now earned $86,712.