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Bayou's Lassie repels Anna in Distaff Turf Mile

Bayou's Lassie never let Dreaming of Anna get the lead (Charles Pravata/Horsephotos.com) Jacks or Better Farm's homebred BAYOU'S LASSIE (Outflanker) beat champion Dreaming of Anna (Rahy) at her own game on Saturday, dishing out a front-running score in the $169,050 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. (G3). Bayou's Lassie completed the mile in 1:37 3/5 over the good Churchill Downs turf to record her third graded stakes victory and sixth overall. In her first start for trainer Dale Romans, the dark bay mare darted to the early lead beneath Edgar Prado. Dreaming of Anna also flashed speed from her outside post. The 7-5 favorite was draped alongside Bayou's Lassie as they approached the first turn, but she eased back into second, conceding the pacesetting role as her rival rattled off splits of :24 2/5, :48 and 1:12 3/5. Although Dreaming of Anna took a strong run at Bayou's Lassie in the stretch, the winner was tenacious and repelled her challenge en route to a 1 1/4-length victory. Ignored at 12-1 in the wagering, Bayou's Lassie rewarded her loyalists with mutuels of $26.20, $8.20 and $4.20. "Dale said he thought our best shot was to go for the lead and take Dreaming of Anna out of her game," Prado said. "That's what we did, and it worked. When she came at us, my horse just took off again. She won very comfortably."

Romans deflected the credit to owner Fred Brei, who transferred Bayou's Lassie from Christophe Clement to him in order to pursue a Kentucky campaign.

"He'd been telling me all along that this filly is fast, she could sustain a long run," Romans said. "So we tried to take the race to Dreaming of Anna, thought if we could get in front of her and make her try to take back off, we might have more horse than her turning for home, and it worked out perfectly. Edgar rode a perfect race."

Dreaming of Anna returned $3.60 and $2.60 for her runner-up effort, finishing 2 1/2 lengths clear of Ventura (Chester House). The third-placer gave back $3 as the 5-2 second choice. The exacta totaled $82.60, the trifecta was worth $235.80, and with the 4-1 Sharp Susan (Touch Gold) in fourth, the 7-9-8-2 superfecta yielded $662.20. New Edition (Stormy Atlantic), Danzon (Royal Academy), Lady Carlock (Chester House) and V. I. P. Princess (Thunder Gulch) rounded out the order under the wire, while You Go West Girl (Mr. Greeley) was withdrawn.

Bayou's Lassie advanced her record to 16-9-3-0 while increasing her earnings to $647,245. She garnered the Frances A. Genter S. (G3), Calder Oaks and Judy's Red Shoes S. in 2006, and added the Stage Door Betty H. (G3) to her resume in 2007. She was coming off a victory in the Florida Cup Turf Distaff S. at Tampa Bay Downs. The Florida-bred has also placed in three stakes, including a pair of seconds in the past two runnings of the My Charmer H. (G3).

The winner is out of the multiple stakes-winning Bayou Plans (Bayou Hebert) and counts herself a half-sister to 2004 Forego H. (G1) star Midas Eyes (Touch Gold), stakes winner Bourbon N Blues (Lycius), a yearling colt named Cup O' Joe (Medaglia d'Oro) and a 2008 filly by Lemon Drop Kid.

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