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Aurora lights up tote board in Sabin Chiefswood Stable's AURORA LIGHTS (Pulpit) was used to overcoming tepid fractions having spent most of last year running over the Polytrack at Woodbine, and had to do so again to claim victory in Saturday's $100,000 Sabin S. (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Tracking between rivals in the second flight while Matchless Orinda (Sky Mesa) led through splits of :24 3/5, :48 1/5 and 1:12 3/5, Aurora Lights advanced outside rounding the far turn and steadily wore down that 6-5 favorite through the stretch before drawing off by 2 3/4 lengths at the line. Under Cornelio Velasquez, Aurora Lights completed the one-turn mile over a fast strip in 1:37 3/5. At 10-1, she returned $23, $8 and $5. Matchless Orinda held second by a neck and paid $3.60 and $3.40. Amazing (Greatness), who tracked in second behind Matchless Orinda through seven furlongs, weakened to third and paid $4.40 at 6-1. Justwhistledixie (Dixie Union), the 7-5 second choice, saved ground throughout but offered no run and was defeated for the first time in three races at Gulfstream. Farther back were Champagne Eyes (Flatter) and Slides Choice (Devil His Due). Jessica Is Back (Put It Back) and Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner) were scratched. The exotics returned $76.60 (exacta), $226.80 (trifecta) and $543 (5-2-3-1 superfecta). "I think she can run on dirt as well as the synthetic," said Eric Coatrieux, who trains Aurora Lights. "We'll look at the one more race for her here (the March 20 Rampart S. [G3]) and then the two-turn race at Churchill during Derby week (April 30 La Troienne S. [G2])." The four-year-old Aurora Lights made her belated debut at Woodbine last May and went unplaced three times before breaking her maiden on July 12 by more than six lengths. Twice second in allowance company, Aurora Lights next pulled off a 9-1 upset of the Selene S. (Can-G3) on September 26. After finishing far back in a division of the Valley View S. (G3) over the Keeneland turf, Aurora Lights concluded her first year of competition with a third in the Stage Door Betty H. (G3), her dirt debut, at Calder. Her line now reads 10-3-2-1, $272,576. Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams in Kentucky and produced by the winning Lady Lochinvar (Lord at War [Arg]), Aurora Lights brought $800,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September sale. She counts as a three-quarter brother the multiple Grade 2 winner Master Command (A.P. Indy), and she is a full sister to the Grade 1-placed X Star. Others produced from this dam are the unraced three-year-old filly Come Home Lady (Came Home) and a 2010 filly by Distorted Humor. Aurora Lights' second dam was the noted producer Lady Winborne (Secretariat), who also produced Grade 1 winners Al Mamoon (Believe It) and La Gueriere (Lord at War [Arg]) and Grade 3 winner and sire Lost Soldier (Danzig). La Gueriere herself is the dam of Grade 1 winner Icon Project (Empire Maker) and Grade 2 victor Lasting Approval (With Approval), and she is the second dam of current Grade 2 sprinter Munnings (Speightstown). Aurora Lights traces back to the Hall of Fame mare and blue hen Searching (War Admiral), the dam of champion Affectionately (Swaps), who produced 1970 Horse of the Year and Preakness S. winner Personality (Hail to Reason), and Priceless Gem (Hail to Reason), who defeated Buckpasser in the 1965 Futurity S. and was the dam of the brilliant French mare Allez France (*Sea-Bird). This is also the family of Broodmare of the Year Glowing Tribute (Graustark), the dam of 1993 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sea Hero (Polish Navy) and multiple Grade 1 winner Hero's Honor (Northern Dancer).
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