Dayatthespa enjoys uncontested lead in Appalachian

Regular rider Javier Castellano accordingly bustled her right out of the

gate, and Dayatthespa sped two lengths clear through an opening quarter in :23

3/5 on the firm turf. She maintained the same comfortable margin despite slowing

the pace down through splits of :48 2/5 and 1:13. Kicking away at the top of the

stretch, Dayatthespa opened up by 4 1/2 lengths when reaching seven furlongs in

1:24 1/5, and was never threatened while stopping the teletimer in 1:36 for the

grassy mile.

"After watching a lot of the races at this meet already, some of our horses

were a little too far back, so we had a plan," Brown said. "This is the right

type of horse to do that, because she has good speed from the gate. Javier

executed it perfectly."

"I had a beautiful trip," Castellano said. "Chad Brown did a great job with

the filly because she's quick out of the gate. She can go :21 real easy, but she

relaxed today. She was more kind. She laid back a little bit -- a little on her

toes, but she's always that way. I'm very happy. It was a great performance

today.

"Turning for home, I asked her a little bit. She responded so well. I had a

little more in the tank."

Somali Lemonade, who was biding her time well off the pace, made good

progress but was much too late. The runner-up drew 1 1/4 lengths clear of Regalo

Mia in third, a reappearance that pleased connections.

"I thought she ran a nice race for her first start," trainer Michael Matz

said of Somali Lemonade. "(Jockey) Alex (Solis) was pleased with her. He said

she feels a lot stronger. This was a situation that we thought could be

possible, where one horse gets on the lead by itself and the way the ground is,

(the leaders) are not coming back. On the whole I was pleased with her. She was

running at the end, but the race did not set up for her."

Early stalkers Firehouse Red and Dream Pegasus retreated to fourth and fifth,

respectively. Next came Lemon Splendor, Biogio's Gift and Little Sadie. Andrew's

Girl, who was well placed for much of the race, unfortunately went wrong in the

drive. She was pulled up and vanned off.

Dayatthespa, who paid $4.60, $2.60 and $2.20, has now bankrolled $274,892

from her 6-4-1-0 record, all on turf. An impressive four-length debut winner at

Saratoga, she came back to finish second in the Grade 3 Natalma at Woodbine. The

chestnut concluded her 2011 season with that thoroughly uncharacteristic ninth

in the Breeders' Cup, but is a different proposition on firm going.

Bred by Castellare DiCracchiolo Stable, Cracchiolo and Goldsher, Dayatthespa

was a $50,000 yearling purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred

Preferred Sale. She races for Jerry Frankel, Ronald Frankel, Steve Laymon and

Bradley Thoroughbreds.

Dayatthespa is by City Zip and out of the Doc's Leader mare M'Lady Doc, who

is herself a full sister to Grade 3 hero Phi Beta Doc. This is the family of

Clev Er Tell, the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby and Grade 2 Arkansas Derby winner of

1977; New Zealand Group 1 sprint star Gold Trail; and Grade 2 victress Tricky

Code, the dam of Japanese champion sprinter and hot young sire Hat Trick.

Despite her name that evokes a sense of relaxation, Dayatthespa has an

excitable personality.

"She's very nervous," Brown said. "She had me a little worried pre-race, but

that's her. She's very high-strung; I think that's part of what makes her good.

"We'll take her up to New York and look for a spot up there," the trainer

added.