Photo: Oaklawn Park
Sister Ginger rebounded from a poor performance opening day to win
Saturday’s $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes in front-running fashion. In
the process, the 3-year-old Student Council filly, trained by Steve
Asmussen, earned 10 points towards entry into the May 3 $1 million
Kentucky Oaks based on Churchill Downs’ new criteria for making the
race.
Overlooked at odds of nearly 20-1, Sister Ginger shot to the lead
from post four and was allowed to set leisurely fractions of 23 4/5 and
48 3/5 for the first half mile. The even-money favorite Rose to Gold
joined her at the top of the stretch and briefly took the lead, but when
jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. asked, the winner responded and drew off
through the stretch to win the one-mile race by 2 ¾ lengths in a final
time of 1:39 2/5 on a fast track.
Broken Spell overcame a wide trip after racing in last place to
finish third, a half-length in front of Dixie Belle Stakes winner
American Sugar. Liberty Girl, I Am Miss Brown, Cloudy in Sandiego and
Lady Stonewall completed the order of finish.
“It was the perfect trip,” and Santana Jr. “She made the lead fairly
easily. When I moved her, I had a lot of horse in my hand. She moved
nice. When I was beside the number 9 (Rose to Gold), I bumped with her a
little bit and my filly got a little scared, but when I pushed her in
the stretch, she went on and won the race.”
Sister Ginger, who races for her breeders Millennium Farms and Little
Brother Farm, improved her career record to two wins from six starts
and has now earned $87,761. She returned $41.20, $12.40 and $7.20.