Mint Lane wires field in Dwyer triumph

For the second time in less than a month, Pinebloom Stable's MINT LANE

(Maria's Mon) has scored a wire-to-wire victory in stakes company at Belmont

Park. On June 13 it was the Postponed S.; on Sunday the more lucrative and

historically significant $198,500

Dwyer S.

(G2). Racing well off the rail while setting fractions of :23 2/5, :46 2/5

and 1:11, Mint Lane kicked into another gear in the stretch, drawing off under

Eibar Coa to register a 2 3/4-length win in a time of 1:44 1/5 for 1 1/16 miles

over the fast track. The 3-5 choice in a field of six, Mint Lane returned

$3.30, $2.40 and $2.20 while keying the $54 exacta and $222 trifecta (3-7-5).

Mint Lane had little trouble taking early control as second choice Ready's

Image (More Than Ready) rated a half-length behind through the opening

half-mile. That rival readily retreated rounding the turn as Tizbig (Tiznow),

who took the worst of it early racing five-wide behind the leading pair,

continued his chase and Pascal (Menifee) made a bold move into second after six

furlongs. That bid sputtered at the top of the stretch as Mint Lane began to

shake loose, and Tizbig eventually reclaimed second by 4 3/4 lengths as the 33-1

longest price on the board. Tizbig gave back $14 and $6 while 9-1 Pascal

returned $3.50 for finishing one length ahead of Web Gem (Fusaichi Pegasus).

Halo Najib (Halo's Image) followed and Ready's Image brought up the rear.

Fidelio (Awesome Again) was scratched.

"The (July 27) Jim Dandy (S. [G2]) comes up a little quick," winning trainer

Jimmy Jerkens said in pondering his charge's next start. "I would love to keep

him here in New York. We will definitely consider the (August 23) Travers (S.

[G1]). He galloped out real good, so maybe he can go a mile and a quarter."

Mint Lane has made great strides after losing his first two starts by wide

margins. He graduated in his third start by more than six lengths at Aqueduct in

January, then ran a distant fifth in his first race against winners. However,

the bay has finished first or second in five subsequent outings. Among these

were runner-up finishes in the Federico Tesio S. at Pimlico and the Peter Pan S.

(G2) prior to his victory in the Postponed. With his name now alongside the

likes of Man o' War, Gallant Fox, Whirlaway, Assault, Native Dancer, Nashua,

Damascus and Holy Bull as a winner of the Dwyer, Mint Lane has bankrolled

$293,412 from a line of 9-4-2-1.

Bred in Kentucky by Pope McLean Sr. et al, Mint Lane sold for $110,000

as a Keeneland November weanling before bringing $270,000 as a Keeneland September yearling.

He is out of the winning Sister Girl, a daughter of

1982 Dwyer winner and Horse of the Year Conquistador Cielo. This makes him a

half-brother to the Grade 1-placed Sister Girl Blues (Hold for Gold). Sister

Girl has also produced Mint Lane's unraced two-year-old full brother Strong

Commitment, a yearling filly by Saint Liam and a 2008 filly by Indian Charlie.

This is the same female family that produced American champions Golden

Attraction (Mr. Prospector) and Fantastic Light (Rahy); Canadian champions Square Angel

(Quadrangle), Kamar (Key to the Mint) and Key

to the Moon (Wajima); and Grade 1 winners Gorgeous (Slew O' Gold), Seaside Attraction

(Seattle Slew) and Cape Town (Seeking the Gold).

Square Angel, Mint Lane's fifth dam, is by 1964 Dwyer winner Quadrangle.