Gazelle

Rating off the pace from the outside, Live Oak Plantation's IN THE GOLD

(Golden Missile) made a three-wide move entering the stretch in Saturday's

$245,000 Gazelle S. (G1) and found another gear in the lane to collar the

front-running Leave Me Alone (Bold Badgett) and draw clear

by 2 1/4 lengths at the wire. The Nick Zito-conditioned chestnut stopped the

clock in 1:49 3/5 for 1 1/8 miles over the fast Belmont track, returning $5.90,

$2.50 and $2.10.

With Gary Stevens in the irons, In the Gold raced in third while Leave Me

Alone, closely tracked by Yolanda B. Too (Two Punch), set opening splits of :24,

:46 3/5 and 1:10 4/5. Entering the turn, Stevens showed his mount clear sailing

on the outside as jockey Kent Desormeauz and Leave Me Alone began to put Yolanda

B. Too away. But In the Gold was looming on the outside in the three path and

moving well. The sophomore miss blew by the leader after a mile in 1:36 1/5

and widened her advantage through the lane. Leave Me Alone held second despite

setting the pace, one length clear of Yolanda B. Too.

"Gary (Stevens) worried me a little bit because he was like 'The Ice Man,'

waiting and waiting," Zito said. "When he swung her out, she excelled."

In the Gold keyed a $12.20 exacta with Leave Me Alone, who returned $2.40 and

$2.10 as the 4-5 favorite. Yolanda B. Too paid $2.10 at 5-1, finishing the $30

trifecta. Seeking the Ante (Seeking the Gold), fourth throughout, finished in

that position and Dancing Edie (Moscow Ballet) was eased in the stretch after

stumbling at the start and never menacing.

Purchased for $250,000 at the 2003 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August Sale, In the

Gold is out of Grade 2 winner Incinerate (Groovy), making her a half-sister to

stakes winner High Blitz (Lucky Lionel), the unraced two-year-old filly Italian

Summer (Red Ransom) and a weanling filly by Pulpit. She was bred in Kentucky by

Whitewood Stable.

With her Gazelle win, In the Gold now shows a line of 12-4-4-3 with $628,742

in earnings after annexing her second career stakes victory, with the first

coming in the Beaumont S. (G2). She also owns six graded stakes placings,

including the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Acorn S. (G1) and Test S. (G1).