A Witty display in the Railbird

Ramona Bass, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider's WITTY (Distorted Humor)

entered Sunday's $100,000

Railbird

S. (G3) at Hollywood Park with an unbeaten two-for-two record and, following

a gutsy stretch run from the Richard Mandella charge, exited the seven-furlong

sprint with her undefeated mark intact. Sent off the 7-5 second choice, the

three-year-old lass paid $4.80, $2.60 and $2.40 while keying $1 exotics worth

$5.50 (exacta), $45.90 (trifecta) and $133.90 (8-3-2-5 superfecta).

Jockey Victor Espinoza was content to let Witty settle back of 6-5 favorite Carlsbad

(Rocky Bar) and Strawberry Tart (Atticus), who were dueling through opening

splits of :21 4/5 and :44. Witty split those two rounding the turn and proceeded

to challenge pacesetter Carlsbad down the lane. The dark bay miss pulled even,

then began to draw away and easily held her position at the wire to stop the

clock in 1:21 3/5.

Carlsbad ran well while suffering her first defeat, holding off the rallying Will O Way (Broken Vow)

by a head to take second and return $2.60 and $2.40. Show

gave back $4.20 as the 30-1 longshot, and it was another length back to Ultra

Blend (Richly Blended). Strawberry Tart faded to fifth and was followed under

the wire by Burg Berg (Johannesburg). Pretty Unusual (Unusual Heat), Lady

Lumberjack (Forestry) and Music Magic (Bernstein) were all withdrawn.

Witty began her racing career on March 4 at Santa Anita, taking her maiden

debut by 3 1/2 lengths. She returned a little over a month later to add an

allowance score to her line by 3 1/4 lengths, and has now accumulated $115,800

in lifetime earnings to go along with her three-for-three record. Bred by

WinStar Farm in Kentucky, the filly sold for $400,000 as a Keeneland September

yearling in 2007.

Witty is the fifth registered foal out of the stakes-winning Well Dressed

(Notebook), who is better known for producing Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) king

Well Armed (Tiznow) and 2007 Travers S. (G1) third-placer Helsinki (Distorted

Humor). Well Dressed is herself a daughter of Trithenia (Gold Meridian), who

counts as a full sister Tee Kay, a Grade 3 winner who is the dam of dual

Japanese Horse of the Year Symboli Kris S (Kris S.). This is also the same

family as Grade 3 winner Patton's Victory (Patton).

Since Witty was born, Well Dressed has also produced an unraced juvenile

filly named Life Well Lived (Tiznow), an unnamed yearling filly by Speightstown

and a 2009 colt by Tiznow.