Fleur de Lis

John D. Gunther and Don Winton's TWO TRAIL SIOUX (Indian Charlie) sprinted

clear when the gates opened and led wire to wire in Saturday's $330,000

Fleur de Lis H. (G2), but there were a few anxious moments for her supporters as a

sizeable early lead disappeared by the time the four-year-old filly reached the

top of the stretch. Jockey Pat Day saved enough for the final furlongs as the

Wally Dollase-trained bay lass re-asserted herself, earning her first graded

stakes win by a length.

Sent off the near 4-1 third choice, Two Trail Sioux maintained a clear

advantage through opening splits of :23 1/5, :46 3/5 and 1:11 1/5, but her

margin was decreasing at each pole and Storm's Darling (Storm Boot) closed

boldly to be only a head back through a mile in 1:36. Rare Gift (Unbridled's

Song) was coming fast with her rally at this point and La Reason (Labeeb [GB])

made it a four-horse battle along the inside in midstretch, but Two Trail Sioux

was too strong for her rivals late, edging clear under right-handed urging to

finish the nine fast furlongs in 1:48 2/5. She paid $9.80, $6 and $4.60.

Storm's Darling took second, a head better than Rare Gift, and both were off

at 6-1. The runner-up returned $8.80 and $4.80, and show was good for $4.60. It

was another neck back to La Reason at 19-1. The exacta totaled $73.40 and the

trifecta $440.80. The $1 superfecta (1-7-6-8) was worth $1,697. Rounding out the

order of finish was 7-5 favorite Shadow Cast (Smart Strike), Island Sand

(Tabasco Cat) and Quick Temper (A.P. Indy). Freei (Honor Grades) was scratched.

Winner of the Bayakoa H. two back, Two Trail Sioux has now captured six of

her last seven starts and owns a 10-6-2-1 mark. Her only off-the-board result

came when when finishing eighth following a troubled trip in her previous

outing, the Louisville Breeders' Cup H. (G2), and Two Trail Sioux has now earned

$424,960. She was bred in Kentucky by Totier Creek Farm and purchased for

$55,000 at the 2002 Keeneland September sale. The first foal from the

stakes-placed Quiet Trail (Quiet American), Two Trail Sioux has an unraced

juvenile half-sister named Quiet Maria (Maria's Mon).