Now I Know stays perfect with Dixie Belle score

"I told my wife this morning that I was more nervous than I was

before the Delta Princess," Von Hemel added. "It's in front of hometown

folks so you want to win, but there's always the possibility that you

get beat, so you get a little nervous."

"This was probably her slimmest margin, but she's gotten to the point where

she just does what she needs to do," Compton said. "I'm sure if that other filly

(Aimi's Dini) had gotten any closer, she would have dug back in."

Amie's Dini made a move toward the leader at the top of the stretch, but

never really threatened her. Grade 3 victress Rocket Twentyone tried to

challenge as well, but faded to finish third with St. Louis City and Coyote

Breeze completing the order under the wire.

"I don't know if it would have made a difference, but I didn't have a good

break. She got kind of tangled at the start," said jockey Eddie Razo Jr., who

rode Rocket Twentyone. "The winner had everything her own way. My filly ran good

considering this was her first start in a while. I think she's a better filly

than this and there's a big race out there for her."

Von Hemel is preparing Now I Know to test Compton's theory with the $75,000

Martha Washington Stakes on February 11 next on her schedule and even bigger

goals in mind later in this season.

"She's done everything we've asked of her so far, but I have some tougher

tasks in mind," he said. "The goal right now is the Martha Washington and I

expect we will see a tougher field there. If we do well there it would be on to

the (Grade 3) Honeybee (on March 10). And you always hope to get to a race like

the (Grade 2) Fantasy (on April 11). You hope to just have a chance in a race

like that. We hope we can get to that."

The Oklahoma-bred Now I Know began her winning streak at Remington Park,

taking a maiden, an optional claimer, an allowance and the Oklahoma Classics

Lassie Stakes. She made her first foray outside of that venue when shipping to

Louisiana for the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess on November 19. The gray filly

easily schooled her nine rivals by four lengths on that occasion to close out

her juvenile season, and has now banked $446,721 with the Dixie Belle winner's

share.

"I'm convinced she can mentally concentrate on something," Stockseth said. "I

noticed in the paddock (for the Delta Princess) that she just locked her eyes on

something. It's like she gets her game-face on. There was a filly next to her

acting up and she just completely ignored her."