Tony’s
Investments’ 3-year-old filly My Pal Chrisy was the surprise winner of the
$75,000 Stage Door Betty Handicap at Calder Casino & Race Course on
Saturday, upsetting the field of five as the 14-to-1 longshot. She is
trained by Padarath Lutchman and was ridden to victory by jockey Luca Panici.
My
Pal Chrisy ran the 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track in 1:47.38, defeating
Successful Song by a half-length. It was two lengths back to Diosa Indian
in third.
It
marked the fifth career victory for the Florida-bred filly and her first stakes
win. At the mutuel windows, My Pal Chrisy paid $30.40, $6.00, and $3.20.
Winning
trainer’s quotes:
Padarath
Lutchman — “I’ve always thought she would go
a mile. She just wasn’t strong enough when I tried her in the Suncoast at Tampa
Bay early this year (last of 10). This is my first stakes win. I’m from
Trinidad. I’ve been training here (Calder) for about four years now. I don’t
look ahead, just one race at a time, so I haven’t thought about where she might
run next.”
Winning
jockey’s quotes:
Luca
Panici – “The key to this filly running
good is getting her to relax early, but not fall too far back that she loses
interest in the race. She has done well sprinting when the pace isn’t too
fast, like in the Azalea Stakes (where she finished third), but Mr. Lutchman
felt she would do even better going around two turns at this point in her career.
She settled perfectly today and I just waited until the others made their move,
then I made mine at the quarter-pole and she fired big time.”