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Dundalk Dust relishes wet conditions in Falls City DUNDALK DUST (Military) blew past her older rivals in the stretch to win Thursday's $161,250 Falls City H. (G2), earning her first graded stakes victory with a three-length decision over the sloppy track at Churchill Downs. The only three-year-old among six females, the Chris Block-trained dark bay rallied from far off the pace under Shaun Bridgmohan and paid $14.80, $7.80 and $4.40 as the 6-1 fourth choice. High Quail (Tiznow) sprinted to the fore at the break and established uncontested fractions in :24 1/5, :49 1/5 and 1:13 4/5. Dundalk Dust dropped to back of the pack in early going, trailing by 10 lengths after a half-mile, and began to advance while three wide on the far turn. She found another gear after turning for home, angling out for clear sailing while rapidly advancing on the pacesetter. She overhauled High Quail in deep stretch and quickly drew clear, completing the 1 1/8-mile Thanksgiving Day test in 1:53 1/5. "I had a nice trip, she's a neat filly to ride," Bridgmohan said. "She's got a big stride to her and about the half-mile pole she switched leads and jumped in the bridle a little bit. All I had to do was pick her a spot and once I did she accelerated nicely. She was going along comfortably and then she jumped in the bridle and by then she knew what was going on. She ran home pretty good." High Quail easily held the place by 1 1/2 lengths and gave back $8 and $3.60 as the 8-1 fifth choice. Striking Dancer (Smart Strike) recovered from a stumbling start to reach a threatening position leaving the far turn but lacked the needed rally, setting for third at 2-1. She returned $2.80. Ravi's Song (Unbridled's Song), Third Dawn (Sky Mesa) and slight 2-1 favorite Distinctive Dixie (Fusaichi Pegasus) rounded out the order of finish. The exotics paid $113 (exacta), $430.80 (trifecta) and $2,200.20 (1-5-3-6 superfecta). Bred in Illinois by Judy Dorris, Dundalk Dust was purchased for $35,000 at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale. The Dundalk 5 LLC-owned filly won her career debut on turf at Arlington Park in August 2009 but wasn't seen again until this June, capturing a state-bred Polytrack allowance at the Chicago oval by three lengths. She finished third but was elevated to second via disqualification in her stakes bow next out, the July 3 Arlington Oaks (G3), and before returning to the allowance ranks on turf with another state-bred score. Dundalk Mist finished fourth in the grassy Pucker Up S. (G3) on September 6 before garnering her first career stakes win in her previous outing, the October 30 Illini Princess H. at Hawthorne. The latter was her first start on dirt. "I felt like this filly would run real good until the rain came through, but she handles every surface we've given her," Block said. "Her last work over the track (a bullet five-furlong drill at Churchill Downs on November 19) showed she was entering the race ready to go. I was a little concerned with her in the first turn because she dropped back and I thought she wasn't handling the track, but you could see in the far turn she gathered momentum and I felt real good from that point on. We have been very fortunate this year at Churchill Downs; we've had the right horses for the right spots." With Thursday's $98,975 winner's share, the improving filly has now earned $237,105 from a 7-5-1-0 line. Dundalk Dust is out of the winning Beau Genius mare Plus Beau, who is a full sister to Grade 3 winner Gentleman Beau as well as the dam of an unraced two-year-old filly Calico Country (Wando); the yearling colt Luv Bandit (Yonaguska); and a weanling filly by City Zip.
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