|
|
Sermon prevails over Marlboro in Top Flight Edward P. Evans' homebred MINI SERMON (Pulpit) engaged the pacesetting Lady Marlboro (Smoke Glacken) at the top of the stretch in Friday's $150,000 Top Flight H. (G2), and after a protracted drive, narrowly subdued her stubborn rival by a nose. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Eibar Coa, the gray sophomore finished one mile on Aqueduct's good track in 1:37 1/5 to record her first graded stakes score. The nearly 7-1 shot returned $15.60, $7.80 and $4.30 while spearheading the $106 exacta and $414 trifecta (2-5-4). Lady Marlboro, who carved out splits of :23 1/5, :46 4/5 and 1:11 4/5, lost a heartbreaker in defeat. Sent off at 8-1, the game runner-up gave back $8.60 and $5.20 for finishing 2 1/4 lengths clear of 2-1 favorite Golden Velvet (Seeking the Gold), who paid $3.40 to show. Cindy's Mom (A.P. Indy) came next, followed by Altesse (A.P. Indy), 2-1 second choice Pool Land (Silver Deputy), Lost Etiquette (Lost Soldier) and Baby Bird (Cape Town). Mini Sermon now sports a mark of 9-5-1-2 with $256,100 in earnings. Successful in the Marking Time S. at Belmont Park and the Sweetest Chant S. at Arlington Park this summer, she was coming off a third-place effort in the Raven Run S. (G2) at Keeneland. The Virginia-bred was produced by the winning Ministorm (Storm Cat), whose youngest offspring is an unraced juvenile filly named Dignified Air (Grand Slam). Ministorm is out of Grade 3 queen Minidar (Alydar), who is herself a half-sister to Grade 2 victress Colonial Minstrel (Pleasant Colony) and multiple stakes heroine Unrestrained (Unbridled). Mini Sermon's third dam is Minstrella (The Minstrel), Ireland's champion juvenile of 1986.
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
