Direct Line nips West Hope in Gardenia

The stretch run of Saturday's $100,000

Gardenia

H. (G3) at Ellis Park involved a long duel between DIRECT LINE (Tiznow) and

pacesetter West Hope (Brz) (Crimson Tide), and the front runner appeared ready

to get her picture taken nearing the wire. Direct Line was tenacious, though,

and just got her nose down on the line to add a first stakes win to her record.

Trained by Victoria Oliver, the bay miss ran a fast-track one-mile on her

preferred dirt surface in 1:38 1/5.

West Hope quickly took command when the gates opened, posting the initial

quarter in :24 1/5. Secret Kin (Sea of Secrets) attempted to keep pace early,

but finally settled just in behind with Direct Line running to her inside. That

one surged forward and to the outside of West Hope on the backstretch and

drafted just off her flank through splits of :47 1/5 and 1:11 2/5. The pair

began battling it out in earnest entering the stretch run, but West Hope always

seemed to be holding her rival until just a few strides from the wire, when

Direct Line just managed to stick her nose in front to take the win.

The top two were both longshots in the 10 horse field, going off at 11-1 and

36-1, respectively. Direct Line paid $24, $15 and $11.20 while West Hope gave

back $40.20 and $20. The exacta totaled $595.60, and it was another three

lengths back to Choragus (Harlan's Holiday), who was worth $6.40 as the 6-1

third choice. The trifecta gave back $2,964.80 and 9-1 fifth pick Lady's

Laughter (Distorted Humor) rounded out the 1-2-3-9 superfecta that returned a

whopping $190,538.20.

Irish Witch (Bernstein), Ravi's Song (Unbridled's Song), Midway Holiday

(Harlan's Holiday), Century Park (General Meeting), Secret Kin and Tap Tap

Tapping (Tapit) completed the order under the line.

Owned by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and St. George Farm Racing, Direct Line has

now gone three-for-three on a conventional dirt surface. The four-year-old began

her career in January 2009 at Tampa Bay Downs, earning a neck score in a turf

maiden before being soundly beaten in her next two tries on turf. She showed up

at Churchill Downs for another turf event, but it was rained off to the main

track, resulting in Direct Line recording her second career win by yet another

neck. The filly suffered another pair of resounding defeats while trying a

synthetic track for the first time and in her stakes bow, and finally returned

to the winner's circle in a turf allowance test at Philadelphia Park in

September.

Direct Line closed out her sophomore campaign with a last-of-11 run in the

Valley View S. (G3) at Keeneland, but opened 2010 with a 3 1/2-length score on

the main track at Gulfstream Park following a near five-month layoff. She once

again filled the last spot when put back on a synthetic track when going in the

Madison S. (G1) last out, and improved her career line to 11-5-0-0 to go along

with $160,216 in lifetime earnings with this score.

Bred by Glencrest Farm LLC in Kentucky, Direct Line is out of the winning

Irene's Talkin (At the Threshold) and counts 2005 Frizette S. (G1) winner Adieu

(El Corredor), multiple stakes victress Speak Wisely (Smart Strike), dual

stakes-placed Clay's Rocket (American Chance) and recent Azalea S. (G3) fourth

Rapport (Songandaprayer) as half-siblings. Clay's Rocket is herself the dam of

Greeley's Rocket (Mr. Greeley), who posted a 4 1/4-length decision in the Crank

It Up S. and a third-place run in the Mongo Queen S. at Monmouth Park in her

past two tries.