Anne Arundel

Essence prevails in tight finish

Padua Stables' ESSENCE (Gulch) broke in the third spot from

her rail post in Saturday's $100,000 Anne Arundel S. (G3) at

Pimlico, but quickly moved to the fore and set splits of :23 3/5,

:47 4/5, 1:11 4/5 and 1:36 2/5 under jockey John Velazquez.

Entering the upper stretch, however, she found Rare Gift (Unbridled's

Song) moving up along her outside and she dug in gamely to score

by a neck in the nine-furlong fast track test.

Essence stopped the clock in 1:49 1/5 and gave back $8.40, $5

and $3.40 as the 3-1 second pick. Rare Gift, who had been

tracking in third for much of the race, easily took second by 2 1/2

lengths and returned $5.80 and $3.60 at nearly 5-1. Family

Business (Saint Ballado) closed strongly from near the back to

secure third by a half-length over 8-5 favorite He Loves Me (Not

for Love) and paid out $4 at 7-1. The exacta was worth $50.80,

the trifecta $203.40 and the 1-4-5-9 superfecta ($1) returned $493.

Silmaril (Diamond) came next by a nose and was followed by

Pour It On (Cryptoclearance), Summer Rainbow (Summer Squall),

Jazz Legend (Silver Deputy), Blind Canyon (Valley Crossing),

Nagem Nagem Nagem (Crypto Star) and Touchnow (Pleasant Tap).

Pawyne Princess (Saint Ballado) was withdrawn.

Essence, bred in Virginia by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III, pushed

her earnings to $132,272 to go along with an 8-3-1-1 career mark.

The Todd Pletcher-trained sophomore was making her stakes debut

in this one after easily capturing a Keeneland allowance in

October by 8 1/4 lengths. She brought $120,000 as a Fasig-Tipton

August yearling and is out of the winning Patelin's Legacy (Cherokee

Colony).