Sweet Reason rallies for Test triumph

The bay miss put in a determined run in the five path to catch and pass

Fiftyshadesofgold, crossing under the wire in a final time of 1:22 1/5 for seven

furlongs on the fast dirt.

"This seemed like the perfect spot for her -- she loves Saratoga, she's shown

she likes seven-eighths, her one-turn mile (in the Acorn) at Belmont was great,

she came out of that race great -- so this was the logical spot," Gyarmati

explained. "I was very excited about running her here. It came up a very salty

field with some really nice fillies in the race, so this was probably her

biggest test yet, in my opinion. She was doing really well, though, so win,

lose, or draw, I felt I'd done everything I could and she was as good as I could

get her. I went in feeling good about the race."

"She was perfect. She broke from behind, relaxed and when I asked her to go,

she just took off," Ortiz stated.

Miss Behaviour and Little Alexis just got to Fiftyshadesofgold before the

wire, so that the three were separated in that order by only two noses. It was

another half-length back to fifth-placer Sweet Whiskey, whom Fiftyshadesofgold

crowded twice down on the rail during the stretch run, and completing the order

of finish were while Thank You Marylou, Tea Time, Bird Maker, Southern Honey and

Street Story. Princess Violet and Red Velvet were both withdrawn.

Sweet Reason took the rest of the year off and reappeared on March 7 at

Aqueduct to take an optional claimer over the inner dirt. Rice stretched her

charge out to nine furlongs for the Gazelle, perhaps in an attempt to gauge her

Kentucky Oaks chances, but Sweet Reason was third that day by 7 3/4 lengths. She

was given a two-month freshening and showed back up in the sprinting ranks on

the Belmont Stakes undercard at Big Sandy to post a half-length victory in the

Acorn last out on June 7.

The $300,000 winner's share from the Test gave Sweet Reason membership in the

millionaire's club, as her lifetime earnings now stand at $1,229,000. She long

ago earned back her purchase price of $185,000 as a

Keeneland September

yearling.

Bred in Kentucky by Brent & Beth Harris and

Darley, Sweet Reason

is out of the stakes-placed Mt. Livermore mare Livermore Leslie, making her a

half-sister to Grade 3 heroine Don't Forget Gil. Livermore Leslie is herself a

half-sibling to Grade 3 victor Highland Gold as well as multiple stakes-placed

Fountain Square, who is the dam of Grade 2 conqueror Timber Reserve.

Farther back this female family also boasts Horse of the Year Moccasin as

well as champions Gamely and Ridan.

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