Wildcat Bettie B just does get up
Shipping to Belmont Park to win stakes for 3-year-old fillies is getting to be a habit with trainer Larry Jones. His latest successful raid came in Saturday's Grade 1 , when Wildcat Bettie B came from off the pace under a perfectly timed ride by Mario Pino to win the $250,000 sprint by a neck over Wild Gams.
"We needed all of that stretch to get by Wild Gams," said Pino. "I'm glad it's a long lane."
Win McCool set fast fractions of 21.80 and 44.37, and clung to a short lead in midstretch, but faded as Wild Gams wrested command between calls.
Wildcat Bettie B had not run since wiring the Ms. Preakness seven weeks earlier, but was fit and ready for Jones, who took down the Acorn Stakes with Island Sand in 2004 and the Grade 2 Nassau County Breeders' Cup earlier at this meet with Hello Liberty.
"It looked like they were really rolling up front," said Jones. "In all the races she's gotten beat in, most of them have been trainer errors and not her errors. She shows up to run every time."
Wildcat Bettie B ($12.80) ran the six furlongs in 1:09.18 on a fast track, and the $150,000 winner's share nearly doubled her bankroll to $313,420.
Earlier on the card, the Missy's Mirage Stakes became a non-wagering exhibition when a field of nine scratched down to a match race between Classy Charm and Bohemian Lady. There were six early scratches, and the field was whittled to just two when favored Yolanda B. Too broke through the gate prior to the start and was scratched as well.
Classy Charm led Bohemian Lady early, was eased back inside of that rival, altered course to the outside in the stretch under Mike Smith, and came on again to win the one-mile stakes in 1:36.83 on a fast track for red-hot trainer John Kimmel.
There were delays through the next several races due to resulting problems with the tote system in refiguring pick-three payouts on races 2, 3, and 4, which were not available to be cashed until after the 10th and final race.
According to the American Racing Manual, six races last year were either match races or scratched down to two horses. The two-horse races at major racetracks in 2005 took place at Pimlico, Philadelphia Park, and Zia Park.