Green Vegas breaks through in Foolish Pleasure

GREEN VEGAS (Trippi) had spent three starts trying to add a first stakes win

to his resume since breaking his maiden. On Saturday at Calder, the Luis

Olivares-owned and trained juvenile finally accomplished that task when posting

a two-length score in the $141,375

Foolish Pleasure Breeders' Cup S. on the track's Preview Day for the October

14 Festival of the Sun.

Settled into fourth through the first half-mile, Green Vegas and jockey Julio

Garcia were content to wait as El Bandido Rojo (Star of Valor) carved out splits

of :23, :47 4/5 and 1:13 4/5. Moving up around the far turn on the outside, Green

Vegas passed the pacesetter in the stretch and went on to post a final time of

1:45 on the fast main track as the near 5-2 second choice.

Green Vegas paid out $6.80, $4.40 and $2.80 while keying the $43.60 exacta

and $134.80 trifecta. Imawildandcrazyguy (Wild Event) moved up from after

running in the back early on to take second, returning $4.80 and $2.60 at 7-1,

by 5 1/4 easy lengths over Yesbyjimminy (Yes It's True), who gave back $2.40 as

the 6-5 favorite. Elninodemisojos (Will's Way) ended the 2-9-1-3 superfecta that

gave back $1,456.80 and was followed by El Bandido Rojo, Five Towns (Three

Wonders), Legacy Reserve (Cherokee Run) and Liqueur (Slew Gin Fizz). Bleniem

(Graeme Hall) and Cat Tour (Tour d'Or) were scratched.

Green Vegas broke his maiden by four lengths in his career debut, then

proceeded to run third in the Birdonthewire S. He followed that one up with an

eighth in the Dr. Fager division of the Florida Stallion S.,

before once again finishing third, this time in the Affirmed division of the

Florida Stallion S. The bay increased his earnings to $135,700 with Saturday's

score.

"I bought this horse ($70,000 at this year's OBS April sale) for some other people, but I ended up with all of him

myself," Olivares said. "He was a good one from the start, but had some problems

with a foot when he finished third (in the Birdonthewire S.) and just got out of

control when he hit the rail in his next start (in the Dr. Fager). It looks like

he's over any problems and will be ready to go in three weeks (in the In Reality

division of the Florida Stallion S. on October 14)."

The fillies got their turn when GAL WONDER (Three Wonders) moved up off a

maiden win to take the $138,375

Brave

Raj Breeders' Cup S. under Rosemary Homeister Jr. The Larry Pilotti-trained

juvenile lass took the lead out of the gate from her rail post, was headed briefly at

the second call, but then retook the advantage to power home a 2 1/2-length

winner. Sent off the 9-1 sixth pick, Gal Wonder was worth $21.60, $8 and $4.60

to her supporters while starting the $152 exacta.

Silkily (Line in the Sand) saved ground early before coming with her run to

grab second by a length over Wise Beauty (Wised Up), returning $7.80 and $4.60

at 7-1. Show paid $4.40 at 4-1, and it was another 5 3/4 lengths back to 2-1

favorite Post Invader (Salt Lake) in fourth. Naseem (Point Given), Pampered Lady (French

Envoy), Lucky Too (Lucky Lionel) and Laninademisojos (Ecton Park) rounded out

the order of finish. The exotics

gave back $152 (exacta), $708 (trifecta) and $2,445.80 (1-4-8-3 superfecta).

Gal Wonder, who changed hands recently, presented her new owner, Carrol

Castille, with an immediate return, adding the $90,000 winner's share to her

record, which now stands at 5-2-1-2, $119,130.

Also on the day's card were the $100,000

Needles S.

and the $100,000

Judy's Red Shoes S. In the former event, Dennis Punches' JET PROPULSION

(Double Honor) added a first stakes victory to his line, which now stands at

21-5-7-1, $141,300, when scoring by a head on the wire. With Elvis Trujillo

aboard, the Daniel Hurtak-trained three-year-old ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 1/5

on the firm turf and was previously second in the Donthelumbertrader S.

Jacks or Better Farm Inc.'s BAYOU'S LASSIE (Outflanker) led from gate-to-wire

in the Judy's Red Shoes, eventually registering a 2 3/4-length decision. Also

ridden by Trujillo, the Stanley Gold-conditioned

sophomore miss stopped the clock in 1:44 2/5 for 8 1/2 furlongs on the grass.

Bayou's Lassie has lost only once from five career starts, finishing seventh in the Azalea

Breeders' Cup S. (G3), and the half-sister to Grade 1 winner

Midas Eyes (Touch Gold) has now earned $110,400.