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Rutherienne skims the hedge in Lake George Virginia Kraft Payson's homebred RUTHERIENNE (Pulpit) benefited from a hedge-skimming ride by Garrett Gomez to capture Friday's $115,100 Lake George S. (G3) at Saratoga. The Christophe Clement trainee stopped the teletimer in a sharp 1:40 1/5 for 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf, extending her career line to a sparkling six-for-seven. Dashes N Dots (Aptitude) darted out to the early lead through demanding splits of :23, :46 4/5 and 1:10 3/5, while Rutherienne was content to race near the back of the pack in ninth. Turning for home, the field began to bunch up as the pacesetter started to feel the effects of her exertions. Gomez found a seam on the hedge, and Rutherienne sliced up the inside to take charge. Her decisive burst of speed was enough to hold the rallying Lady Attack (Mutakddim) safe by a neck at the wire. Dispatched as the 5-2 favorite, the winner returned $7.50, $4.30 and $3.10. The 9-1 Lady Attack finished boldly in her stakes debut, yielding $9.40 and $6.50. Sharp Susan (Touch Gold) crossed the wire another neck back in third to pay $5.30 at 7-1. The exotics were worth $94.50 (exacta), $727 (trifecta) and $2,966 (10-6-7-8 superfecta) with Classic Neel (El Corredor) in fourth. Silky Smooth (Mr. Greeley) came next, followed by Good Mood (Ire) (Danehill Dancer), Miss Tizzynow (Tiznow), Red Birkin (Belong to Me), Dashes N Dots, Bees (Rahy) and Awesome Ashley (Unbridled's Song). The once-beaten Rutherienne has now bankrolled $321,695. The dark bay has won four in a row, starting with the Sugar Plum Time S. at Belmont, a dead-heat score in the Sands Point S. (G3) at that same venue, and a promotion via disqualification in the Boiling Springs S. (G3) at Monmouth, before adding the Lake George. As a juvenile, she took the Cherokee Frolic S. at Calder. Her lone setback was a close fourth in the one-mile Appalachian S. at Keeneland in her 2007 debut. Bred in Kentucky, Rutherienne is out of the stakes-winning Ruthian (Rahy). She is a three-quarters sister to the juvenile colt Big Wig (A.P. Indy), who broke his maiden in his second career start at Belmont Park on June 24, and she is a half-sister to an unnamed yearling colt by Vindication. Rutherienne's fifth dam is Tempted (*Half Crown), the champion handicap mare of 1959 who covered herself in glory at the Spa, with back-to-back tallies in the Diana H. as well as a score in the Alabama S.
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