Marquee Miss took advantage of a screaming pace to win the 31st running of the $50,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes at Turfway Park Saturday, coming home under jockey Didiel Osorio to score at 21-1.
The 3-year-old Cowboy Cal filly now has four wins, all coming in stakes.
Marquee Miss settled to the outside and about three lengths off the blazing pace set first by Melaleuca in :21.71 and then by Touch of Bling in :44.37. Marquee Cal Gal, who raced alongside Marquee Miss early, took over entering the stretch and looked a winner, but Marquee Miss caught her late to finish a neck in front.
Final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.10.
Touch and Smile finished a length and quarter farther back in third. Completing the order of finish were Luckyallmylife, Touch of Bling, Momameamaria, Melaleuca, Dear Elaine, Needmore Flattery, Misleading Lady, Firey Diamond and Sweet Angel Roan. Contrasting and Pin Up Gal did not draw in and were scratched.
Trained by Ingrid Mason for owner Joe Ragsdale, Marquee Miss improved her record to 4-0-1 in 15 starts. The winner’s share of $28,830 increased her earnings to $225,109.
Marquee Miss paid $44.20, $20.80 and $10.20.
Bred in Kentucky by David Jacobs, Marquee Miss is out of the Marquetry mare Marquee Delivery.
The Holiday Inaugural was Marquee Miss’s second start over Turfway’s Polytrack, following a third-place finish in the Bourbonette Oaks (G3) last spring.
Court gets 4,000 career win
FLORENCE, Ky. (Dec. 3, 2016) – Jockey Jon Court, 56, scored the 4,000th win of his career Saturday when he guided City Without Pity to victory in Turfway Park’s fourth race.
Born in Gainesville, Florida, Court began his career in 1980 riding in Colorado. He spent a dozen years riding in Louisiana before moving his tack to ride the Kentucky and Indiana circuits. He moved again in 2004 to California, where he was among riders featured on the television show Jockey. He returned to the Midwest in 2009.
The winner of numerous graded stakes, Court counts Archarcharch, 2003 Japan Cup Dirt winner Fleetstreet Dancer, Perfect Drift, 2005 Eclipse Award Turf Champion Leroidesanimaux, Will Take Charge and Ride On Curlin among his top mounts.
Court has twice served as secretary of the Jockeys’ Guild and in 2007 was honored with the George Woolf Award.
Turfway Park