Two Step Salsa too hot for Affirmed foes

Two Step Salsa has the look of a markedly improving three-year-old (Benoit Photo) Everest Stables' homebred TWO STEP SALSA (Petionville) kicked into another gear at the top of the stretch and streaked home an impressive, 3 3/4-length winner of the $107,100 Affirmed H. (G3) over the Cushion Track at Hollywood Park on Sunday. Conditioned by Julio Canani, the even-money favorite completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 2/5 and gave back $4, $2.80 and $2.20 under Martin Pedroza. Tres Borrachos (Ecton Park) broke best but was soon overtaken by Two Step Salsa, who led through splits of :23, :46 3/5 and 1:11 for the opening six panels. Approaching the final turn, Dixie Chatter (Dixie Union) made a big move from well back while widest, drawing on near-even terms with the leader, but Pedroza had plenty left and quickly spurted away from that rival in a fine showing. "This horse is just a freak, that's all I can say," Pedroza marveled. "He just does everything so easy. They came up to him on the turn, and I just let him out a notch, and whoosh!"

Tres

Borrachos stayed on well along the rail to register a clear second as the 7-2

third choice, good for $3.60 and $2.40. Dixie Chatter garnered show honors at

5-2, worth $2.60. The $1 exacta paid $6.60, the $1 trifecta $17.30 and the $1

superfecta (1-5-7-6) returned $54 with Bingham (Monarchos) in fourth. Wind's

Legacy (Millennium Wind) and Exuma (Ecton Park) completed the order of finish

while Ez Dreamer (In Excess [Ire]) and Trevor's Clever (Stephen Got Even)

scratched.

Two Step Salsa improved his career line to 5-4-1-0, $203,990, while picking

up his second consecutive graded tally. The Kentucky-bred sophomore is unbeaten

from four Cushion Track efforts, with the lone blemish on his resume coming as a

runner-up showing in the grassy Harry Henson S. in April. Most recently, the

dark bay romped in the Lazaro Barrera Memorial S. (G3).

The winner is out of the unraced Two to Waltz (Seattle Slew) and has a pair

of unnamed full brothers, a yearling colt and a 2008 colt.