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Filly is a Sassy winner of the Pocahontas

Sassy Image returned to her beloved Twin Spires to capture her first stakes (EquiSport Photos) Jerry Romans' SASSY IMAGE (Broken Vow) tested her mettle against graded rivals in her three starts since breaking her maiden by 5 3/4 lengths at Churchill Downs, but wasn't able to get the job done until returning to the home of the Twin Spires. On Sunday in the $115,900 Pocahontas S. (G3), the 2-1 favorite split rivals in the stretch and drew off to be two lengths clear on the wire under jockey Robby Albarado. Trained by her owner's younger brother Dale Romans, the filly returned $6.20, $3.40 and $2.80 to her faithful backers while finishing up one mile on the fast dirt in 1:38 3/5. Albarado settled Sassy Image toward the rear of the tightly condensed field early as Vivid Colors (Roman Ruler) and Tiz Miz Sue (Tiznow) battled it out on the front end through splits of :22 2/5, :45 3/5 and 1:11 3/5. The early duel was too much for Tiz Miz Sue, who began backing up nearing the turn, but All Due Respect (Value Plus) was more than willing to move up from where she had been stalking in third and take over through seven furlongs in 1:27 3/5. Vivid Colors continued to apply pressure, and suddenly Sassy Image appeared on the inside. Scooting through between rivals, the chestnut lass took command and easily drew off to record her first stakes score. "It's great to be back on the real stuff (dirt) and it's great to be back at Churchill Downs," Romans said. "I think she'll run all day. She outlasted 'em and had the most stamina today and I just think she'll run even further.

"You just don't know (what will happen) when you turn for home and you're down on the inside all boxed up like that. Are they going to get through? I just thought if (Albarado) found a seam that she would kick through and she did."

Decelerator (Dehere), the 7-1 fourth pick in the 12-horse field, put in a five wide rally rounding the turn but couldn't keep pace with the winner while just getting her head in front of All Due Respect to take second, paying $7.20 and $6. Show was worth $8.80 at 23-1, and the exotics gave back $39.60 (exacta), $563.60 (trifecta) and $3,549.20 (3-8-2-11 superfecta). Vivid Colors held well to grab fourth another length back, and was followed under the line by Tidal Pool (Yankee Gentleman), Vertical Vision (Pollard's Vision), Biorra (Smoke Glacken), Tiz Miz Sue, All About Anna (Maria's Mon), Jody Slew (Slew City Slew), Running Bride (Cherokee Run) and Happy Week (Distorted Humor). Snap Happy (Lion Heart) was scratched.

This victory boosted Sassy Image's earnings to $147,512, and her record now stands at 6-2-1-1. The juvenile lass broke her maiden in her second career try, then proceeded to run second in the Adirondack S. (G2) and fourth in the Spinaway S. (G1) at Saratoga. She traveled back to Kentucky and tried the Polytrack at Keeneland in the Alcibiades S. (G1), but wound up eighth in that one.

"She's got a bright future and she's got a lot of room to improve," Romans added. "We'll be here (for the $150,000 Golden Rod S. [G2]) on closing day (November 28)."

Bred in Kentucky by J C Davis Farm Inc., Sassy Image was purchased for $42,000 as a Keeneland September yearling and is out of Ideal Image (Hennessy), who has since produced a yearling colt by Roman Ruler and a weanling filly by Thunder Gulch. Ideal Image is herself a half-sister to last year's John Henry S. winner Dynaman (Dynaformer) and 1999 St. Leger S. (Eng-G1) third Adair (Theatrical [Ire]).

Sassy Image's third dam is 1981 Oak Leaf S. (G1) queen Header Card (Quack). Others of note in the family include English Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) runner-up and Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) third Bellotto (Mr. Prospector) as well as multiple Grade 2-winning sire Intidab (Phone Trick), Grade 2-placed stakes victor and sire Repriced (Roberto), and Grade 2 queens Top Rung (Seattle Slew) and Gray Cashmere (Relaunch).

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