Honeymoon BC

Three Degrees takes Honeymoon Breeders' Cup title

Mary Rita DePietro, Aaron Wellman, Harlequin Ranches et al's THREE DEGREES

(Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]) captured her third score stateside when the

gray filly closed on the outside to win the $163,125

Honeymoon Breeders' Cup H. (G2) at

Hollywood Park on Sunday. Gary Stevens took the reins after regular rider Alex Solis

dropped the mount in order to ride second-favorite Bertatim (Bernstein), who

stumbled badly at the start and caused Solis to lose his irons.

Three Degrees broke near the rear of the pack as Unusual Spring (Unusual

Heat) jumped out to the early lead, setting the first fraction of :23 2/5 before

being overtaken by Thatswhatimean (Belong to Me), who proceeded to set splits of  :47

1/5, 1:10 2/5 and 1:34 4/5. Three Degrees came three deep into the stretch and

closed gamely under urging by Stevens to capture the 1 1/8-mile affair in 1:46

4/5 on a track labeled firm.

The 2-1 favorite returned $6, $4.20 and $3.20 for her efforts while leading

the $41.80 exacta ($1). Thatswhatimean held on to second a length back of the

winner and gave

$11 and $6 for the place at 15-1, while Isla Cozzene (Cozzene) finished another

three parts of a length back in third to round out the $533.60 trifecta ($1) at

14-1, giving back $8.20 for the show. Singhalese (GB) (Singspiel [Ire])

completed the 6-8-3-11 superfecta ($1) which paid $4,426.40.

Royal Copenhagen (Fr) (Inchinor [GB]), Louvain (Ire) (Sinndar), Unusual

Spring, Kick the Can (Game Plan), Tivadare (Fr) (Distant View), Royal Wave

(Royal Academy), Silver Wand (Silver Hawk) and Dramatic (Dynaformer) completed

the order of finish. Solis managed to pull Berbatim up on the backstretch.

Trained by Patrick Gallagher, Three Degress comes off a nose second in the Senorita S.

(G3) and counts this as her first stakes score. She now shows a line of 6-3-2-1

with $169,559 in earnings. Bred in Ireland by B Butt, she is out of Miss University (Beau Genius).