Photo: CDI
Sam-Son Farms’ favored
Deceptive Vision broke her maiden decisively at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on Friday, defeating five other newly-turned sophomore fillies to join a list of those deemed worthy of possible consideration for Fair Grounds’ upcoming three-race sophomore filly series.
That series begins with the $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes Jan. 19 and will conclude with the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks March 30.
Deceptive Vision, by 1992 Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner A. P. Indy, is a full sister to Sam-Son Farms’ 2009 Queen’s Plate winner Eye of the Leopard. She was allowed to settle, challenged on the outside when set down for the drive and returned mutuels of $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10. She toured the mile and 70-yard distance in 1:44.54 to best Susan Knoll’s Blue Violet by 3 ¼ lengths in Friday’s $45,000 maiden affair to increase her career earnings to $42,496 with her initial win from two lifetime starts.
“We’ll regroup and see what we have down the road,” said Deceptive Vision’s trainer, Malcolm Pierce. “It looks like she handles the dirt just fine and she’ll get a lot out of this race today.”
Blue Violet, behind horses in upper stretch, continued willingly late to be easily second best, paying $2.60 and $2.20 while finishing four lengths to the good of Charles Pigg’s Cora Mesa, who took command entering the lane but could not sustain the bid to return $3 for third.
J-Lu LLC’s Tizexx set early fractions of 24.72 and 49.20 before tiring.