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Dawn breaks in Barbara Fritchie Marty Cunningham's GOLDEN DAWN (Hennessy) received a masterful, rail-skimming ride from jockey Channing Hill in Saturday's $276,750 Barbara Fritchie H. (G2) at Laurel Park to take her first graded win by six lengths. The Michael Hushion trainee was sent off the 4-1 second choice and returned $10, $4.80 and $4 to her faithful backers. "She's been getting better every race and she took another step forward," Hushion said. "Her last race was huge and everything pointed to giving this a try. She trained like a monster." Oprah Winney (Royal Academy) moved to the front when the gates opened, establishing splits of :22 3/5 and :45 4/5 while racing just a few feet off the rail. Golden Dawn wasn't far back, running just off the flank of her rival to the inside, and squeezed through a tiny gap entering the stretch to take over through six furlongs in 1:10 2/5. From there, the four-year-old chestnut merely extended her advantage, eventually finishing seven furlongs on the fast dirt in 1:23 1/5. "I had a ton of confidence in my filly today," said Hill, who garnered his first graded stakes victory in this spot. "When she went up inside I just had a ton of horse and figured someone had to come running today to beat her. She did everything I needed her to do. She got brave when I needed her to be and just ran an awesome race." Even-money favorite Control System (Lion Hearted) came four wide into the lane and was able to take second by a half-length. She paid $3 and $2.40 while completing the $26.80 exacta. For Kisses (Not for Love) rallied from last to earn the show, giving back $3.80 at 13-1 and ending the $160 trifecta. It was another 2 3/4 lengths back to Baby Bird (Cape Town), who finished the $498.80 superfecta (4-8-3-2) at 9-2, and then came Karakorum Starlet (Skip Away), More Angels (Slew of Angels), All Giving (Allen's Prospect) and Oprah Winney, who was eased and walked off in the final furlong. Take a Check (Touch Gold) and Devil House (Chester House) were both withdrawn. Golden Dawn tried five times to break her maiden, then was switched to Hushion and immediately stepped up to earn her initial win last November. Since then, the lass has run third in the Raise Heck S. and made her 2008 bow a win in the Fiesta Lady S. at Aqueduct on January 9. With this, her first graded victory, she's now accumulated $270,356 in lifetime earnings to go along with a 9-3-1-2 mark. Bred in Kentucky by Brian Scott Dance, Golden Dawn is the third registered foal produced from Grade 2 winner Paved in Gold (Carson City).
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