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Conquest Two Step flies late for Palos Verdes

Conquest Two Step has found his niche in dirt sprints (Benoit Photos) Conquest Two Step (Two Step Salsa) recorded his first stakes victory in Saturday's $200,250 Palos Verdes (G2) at Santa Anita, rallying to catch Secret Circle (Eddington) in deep stretch for his first stakes victory. The Mark Casse-trained colt completed six furlongs in a sizzling 1:08 with Joe Talamo up. The four-year-old is proving to be the real deal after surprising observers in his previous outing, a neck second to Shared Belief (Candy Ride) at 72-1 odds in the December 26 Malibu (G1). "We were high on his last race, when he ran second to Shared Belief and I know a lot of people thought it was a fluke but he really ran that same race again today," Talamo said. Off as the 5-1 fourth choice among six rivals, Conquest Two Step settled 6 1/2 lengths off the pace through an opening quarter-mile in :21 1/5. Distinctiv Passion (With Distinction), the 2-1 favorite, showed the way early from his rail post but was pressured during the early stages by Big Macher (Beau Genius) and Secret Circle.

The pacesetter was still clinging to a head advantage through a half-mile in :43 2/5, but Secret Circle surged past Distinctiv Passion shortly after entering the stretch drive, reaching the eighth-pole with a one-length lead.

Conquest Two Step began to make up ground rounding the far turn and accelerated quickly into contention in upper stretch. Secret Circle proved game when confronted, but Conquest Two Step was able to carry his momentum to a 1 1/4-length win.

"He had a perfect trip," Talamo said. "I was very happy to see three horses in a speed duel. I just stayed outside and he wasn't even getting any dirt in his face. What a race he ran."

"They set it up nice for him," Casse added. "I was smiling pretty big down the backside (at the fractions) watching those three go at it. I thought he was a big price based on his last effort, but I understand everybody likes to see two in a row. I kind of like it myself.

"When they run a big race, you want to see them come back and do it again."

Secret Circle easily held second by a 2 1/4-length margin over the late-running Wild Dude (Wildcat Heir), who wound up a clear third in a title defense.

Conquest Two Step captured his career debut in 2013 and concluded his two-race juvenile season with a runner-up in the Colin S. at Woodbine. He dropped his first six starts of 2014 before turning things around, capturing an allowance/optional claiming turf sprint on October 25 prior to the Malibu.

With Saturday's $120,000 payday, the dark bay has now earned $309,408 from a 10-3-5-1 scorecard.

Bred in Florida by Manuel Andrade, Conquest Two Step is out of the multiple stakes-placed mare Homesteader (Pioneering), a half-sister to stakes winner King and Crusader. After initially selling for $20,000 as a yearling at the 2012 OBS August sale, Conquest Two Step proved to be a nice pin-hooking success when commanding $420,000 at the OBS April two-year-old sale.

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