Frances A. Genter

Bayou Lassie triumphed over J'ray to take the Genter (Jim Lisa Photos) Jacks or Better Farm's homebred BAYOU'S LASSIE (Outflanker) brushed aside an early pace rival, opened up in midstretch and just held on from the furiously finishing J'ray (Distant View) to take the $100,000 Frances A. Genter S. (G3) at Calder on Saturday. Trained by Stanley Gold and ridden by Elvis Trujillo, the dark bay filly finished 7 1/2 furlongs on the good turf in 1:29 1/5 to notch her third stakes victory and her first at the graded level. Leaving the gate, Prospect of Love (Suave Prospect), the longest shot on the board at 72-1, burst to the lead, but Bayou's Lassie quickly asserted herself and put her head in front through an initial quarter in :23 1/5. After dismissing the longshot, Bayou's Lassie sailed along unchallenged while reeling off splits of :46 1/5 and 1:11. She responded generously when set down for the drive and looked like a decisive winner until 9-5 favorite J'ray commenced her rally in deep stretch. As J'ray gained ground rapidly along the inside, Bayou's Lassie kept on resolutely toward the center of the course. The wire came in the nick of time for Bayou's Lassie, who officially had a head to spare over the runner-up.

"This filly is very aggressive," Trujillo said. "Actually, it's hard to keep

her off of the lead. She runs better when she gets the lead anyway, so you just

have to try and control her speed so she has something left in the stretch. I

rated her as much as I could and then turned her loose down the lane. She digs

in hard when she is challenged in the stretch."

Sent off as the 3-1 second choice in the 11-horse field, the winner returned

$8, $3.60 and $2.80. J'ray gave back $3 and $2.60 while ending the $23.80 exacta. Amansara (War

Chant) closed mildly for third, another length back, to pay $3.20 at odds of

7-2. The trifecta totaled $67.60, and with the 26-1 Silversider (Wekiva Springs)

in fourth, the 9-1-8-2 superfecta yielded $494.

Rasta Farian (Holy Bull), Miss Shop (Deputy Minister), Dancing Band

(Dixieland Band), Good Intentions (Anet), Prospect of Love, Scarlett's Pride

(Fr) (Singspiel [Ire]) and Peak Maria's Way (Pyramid Peak) rounded out the order

of finish. Five fillies were scratched. Calla Lily (Pulpit), Captive Melody (Unbridled's

Song) and Saoirse Cat (Storm Cat) could not take part because of the equine

herpesvirus (EHV-1) quarantine at their Payson Park base. Mia's Reflection

(Halo's Image) was a late scratch at the gate, while the last also-eligible,

Mohegan Sky (Straight Man), failed to draw into the field.

Bayou's Lassie improved her record to 8-6-1-0, all at Calder, with $310,400

in earnings. She posted front-running scores in the Judy's Red Shoes S. and

Calder Oaks before finishing second versus older mares in the My Charmer H. (G3)

last time out. Her lone unplaced effort came on the main track in the Azalea

Breeders' Cup S. (G3), where she wound up seventh.

Out of multiple stakes queen Bayou Plans (Bayou Hebert), the Florida-bred is

a half-sister to 2004 Forego H. (G1) hero Midas Eyes (Touch Gold), stakes winner

Bourbon N Blues (Lycius) and an unraced juvenile filly named Spice (Monsieur

Cat).

Gold identified the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf at

Gulfstream Park on January 27 as the winner's next target.