Cherokee Queen found the right trip under Alex Solis and used it to bag
her first graded stakes victory, taking the Grade 3, $150,000 Suwannee
River by two lengths Feb. 5 at Gulfstream Park.
Solis was aboard the 6-year-old mare for the first time in her 27th
lifetime start and he gave her the perfect ride in the 1 1/18-mile turf
contest. The daughter of Cherokee Run raced in tandem with Miss Blakely
as they stalked pacesetter Persuading through honest splits. Once
hitting the top of the lane Cherokee Queen took command and methodically
pulled away for the score.
She hit the wire in 1:46.62 on the firm turf course, earning her eighth
career victory. Never Retreat rallied well under Carlos Marquez Jr. to
get second in a field of 10, a half-length in front of Persuading.
Cherokee Queen is owned by Farnsworth Stables and trained by Marty
Wolfson. The dark bay/brown mare finished a close fourth in her season
debut, the Jan. 9 Marshua's River (Grade 3). This win, which was her
first in seven graded stakes tries, upped her lifetime earnings to
$477,812.
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