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A Day at the Races 04/08/2001
Fiesty Countess, ninth race
Fiesty Countess has developed the habit of accommodation, which isn't a good habit in a racehorse.
She loves to give the opposition a head start by lingering in the starting gate. She has done that in each of her last two races, leaving herself with too much to do in the stretch. And since then, she has done the same thing in an early morning workout at Lone Star.
Such a willingness to accommodate the opposition is especially disadvantageous in sprints, but Sunday she'll stretch out to a mile in Lone Star's ninth race. The stakes-winning filly has a conspicuous edge in talent, and unless she lingers in the gate long enough to read this newspaper, she should have the look of a winner.
Pagan Place and Nobodyknowsbut Ed, seventh race
In his seasonal debut, Pagan Place battled through rapid fractions and held on to finish third in solid allowance company at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. In Sunday's seventh, he shouldn't have to endure a battle to grab a clear early advantage. And Nobodyknowsbut Ed rallied strongly to win his last by 41/2 lengths.
The two of them together, one darting early and the other charging late, look like an enticing exacta box.
Classic Mystery, sixth race
Classic Mystery is winless in 15 starts, which is why he could offer some rewarding odds in Sunday's sixth race. He's a 4-year-old in a field comprised mostly of 3-year-olds. So he has a maturity advantage, and he's going to benefit from a rapid pace, which could set the race up for his late run. Moreover, he comes from the stable of trainer Wes Hawley, a sharp horseman who's winning with 30 percent of his starters this year.
Heritage Of Gold, Oaklawn Park, ninth race
Oaklawn Park's Apple Blossom Handicap shapes up as the best race so far this year for fillies and mares. The field includes such major stakes winners as Gourmet Girl, Lu Ravi, Spain, Dreams Gallore, Heritage Of Gold, Lazy Susan and Bordelaise.
Heritage of Gold is the one to beat. The Horse of the Meeting at Lone Star two years ago, last year she earned $1.3 million. And she had a useful tuneup for this race in the Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Handicap.
And at Santa Anita, in the Zany Tactics, Crescendo makes his stakes debut. He was training sensationally at Lone Star next year but never raced here. He didn't show up until last month, when he easily won a maiden race at Santa Anita.
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