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Hartigan wins third career stakes race
Photo Credit: Jim McCue/MJC
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BALTIMORE, 05-31-08---After an early afternoon downpour forced management to move turf races to the muddy main track and three fillies scratched out of the $60,000 Pearl Necklace Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, Fitzhugh LLC’s Hartigan had it all her own way, winning as the overwhelming 1-5 favorite.
Jozbin Santana rode the chestnut daughter of Include to a 4-1/4 length victory over frontrunner Clara’s Song and Hartigan’s entry mate Inventive, who took third. Hartigan tracked Clara’s Song to the far turn, moved outside without urging and pulled away. The winner completed the 1-1/16th mile distance in 1:47.42 and paid $2.60.
The same scenario happened three weeks ago when rain forced the Hilltop Stakes off the Pimlico grass and onto the main track where Hartigan and Inventive ran 1-3.
“There was no pace in the race so I just sat right behind the horse in front,” Santana said. “They were just bunched up so when I saw the chance at the half-mile pole I took it before it closed. I knew I had the best horse in the race. She pretty much did it on her own.”
Richard Small trains the Hartigan-Inventive entry. The Pimlico-based conditioner has saddled three other winners of the Pearl Necklace Stakes -- Star Minister (1992), Proud Owner (1998) and He Loves Me (2004).
“Star Minister was a great big filly,” Small said. “Proud Owner was much better on the grass and He Loves Me was something special. This one sort of broke the mold, a tiny little filly, with a gigantic big heart. She’s pretty special, too.”
Hartigan, who has finished in the money in eight of nine starts, has now earned $151,000. The Maryland-bred also won the Gin Talking Stakes on the turf at Laurel Park last September. Her only off the board finish was a seventh place finish behind Bsharpsonata in the Selima Stakes at Laurel on the De Francis Dash undercard last year.
-MJC-