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Sheets scores in Azalea

Sheets is fulfilling the potential her maiden debut suggested (Jim Lisa Photos) Robert E. Masterson's homebred SHEETS (Scatmandu) pressed the pace while three wide in Saturday's $291,750 Azalea Breeders' Cup S. (G3) at Calder, easily took over at the top of the stretch and pulled off to record a 4 1/4-length victory in her graded debut. The Tom Smith-trained sophomore, with Robby Albarado aboard, finished six furlongs on the sealed, sloppy track in 1:10 2/5. Cher Ami (Lost Soldier) shot to the front when the gates opened, getting the first quarter in :21 2/5 while pressed by Sheets on the outside and Sindy with an S  (Broken Vow) on the rail. Succumbing to the pressure, Cher Ami began backing up rounding the turn, leaving the way clear for her two pace rivals to continue the battle. It was soon over, though, as Sheets accelerated in the stretch, easily pulling away to win. Sent off the 6-1 fifth choice, Sheets gave back $15.20, $6 and $4.40 while keying the $68.20 exacta and $644.80 trifecta. Sindy with an S was best of the rest, paying $4 and $3.20 as the 9-5 favorite. Holly Torque Tango (Exciting Story) filled third as the 13-1 sixth pick, returning $4, and it was another three parts of a length back to Miss A. Bomb (Lemon Drop Kid), who ended the $7,497.40 superfecta (7-1-6-8).

Mountain Tiger (Tiger Ridge) was next under the wire and followed by Time's Mistress (Mr. Greeley), Cher Ami, Secretsoftheheart (Put It Back) and Atlanta Highway (Chief Seattle).

Sheets made her racing debut on June 10 last year at Churchill Downs, finishing second in the same maiden special weight that was won by Change Up (Distorted Humor), who would go on to take the Pocahontas S. (G3). Running third in that field was High Heels (E Dubai), who captured the Fantasy S. (G2) and ran third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Even more notable, finishing fourth and suffering her only loss to date while making her career bow was Kentucky Oaks queen and eventual Belmont S. (G1) heroine Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy).

Sheets finally broke through the maiden ranks with a 6 1/2-length win on December 3, and captured the Gowell S. in her very next start. She was fifth in the Open Mind S. in mid-May, and now boasts a 10-4-4-1 career mark and more than doubled her earnings to $285,939. The Kentucky-bred dark bay miss is the first stakes winner out of the stakes-placed One Hot Minute (Relaunch), who has also produced an unnamed yearling filly by Military and a 2007 colt by Maria's Mon.

Smith said that Sheets is likely to show up next in the August 4 Test S. (G1) at Saratoga.

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