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Christmas Kid reaps Davona Dale Edward P. Evans' homebred CHRISTMAS KID (Lemon Drop Kid) rallied to the lead midway on the far turn and drew off from her opposition into the stretch en route to a four-length win in Saturday's $150,000 Davona Dale S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park. Making her graded stakes debut off a victory in the grassy Tropical Park Oaks, the James Jerkens charge made a seamless transition while covering the fast-track mile in 1:37 1/5. She nearly doubled her earnings to $186,587 and improved her overall mark to 5-3-0-1. Meditations (Out of Place), the 4-5 favorite, was pulled up approaching the far turn and vanned off the track. Pretoria Light (Colony Light) grabbed the lead soon after the start and set the early pace in :23 4/5 and :47 with Christmas Kid a length back tracking her in second. The eventual winner passed the three-quarters mark in 1:11 4/5 with a half-length advantage and quickly opened up on her rivals. Sent off the near 6-1 third choice in a field of eight sophomore fillies, Christmas Kid paid $13.60, $5.80 and $5.60 to her supporters. "After she made the turn for home, she was just cruising," jockey Rene Douglas said. High Again (High Yield), who traveled wide throughout, offered a good rally for second at 3-1 and gave back $4.60 and $4.80. It was a length back to Lisa M (Banker's Gold), who returned $6 at 9-1. The $1 exacta totaled $29.50, the $1 trifecta $153.60 and the $1 superfecta (6-8-1-4), with Pretoria Light in fourth, was worth $940.20. Naseem (Point Given), Acadia Breeze (Royal Academy) and Post Invader (Salt Lake) rounded out the order of finish. Bred in Virginia, Christmas Kid hails from the multiple Grade 3-winning Christmas Gift (Green Desert), who also has juvenile colt named Elusive Gift (Elusive Quality). This is the same female family of multiple Grade 1 winner and sire Grand Slam (Gone West). Christmas Kid notched her first win on the main track Saturday. After breaking her maiden on turf in her second start, the bay filly recorded a third in the grassy Miss Grillo S. and a victory in the aforementioned Tropical Park Oaks. Jerkens wasn't surprised she could handle the dirt. "You could see the way she was training, the way she would work next to other horses on the dirt, that it was just effortless," Jerkens said. "I'd have to think maybe the (March 10) Bonnie Miss (G2) might be next."
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