Take D'Tour battled on the front end with 5-1 Pool Land through a half in 46.49 and 3/4 in 1:10.50. Favorite Oonagh Maccool sat just off the pace in third. Entering the stretch, Pool Land took the lead but this was short-lived, as 6-1 fourth choice Spun Sugar, who was fourth down the backstretch, came out three wide and was closing well through the stretch, and 11-1 longest shot Balletto was also making headway after racing at the back early. The pair battled it out through the final 1/16 of a mile, with Spun Sugar getting her nose down on the line first in 1:49.93 for the 1 1/8 mile battle. It was a long 6 1/2 lengths back to Pool Land in third, while favorite Oonagh Maccool tired in the lane and faded to last.
2006 Opening Weekend at Saratoga
By Cindy Pierson Dulay, About.com
Spun Sugar wins the Go For Wand Handicap
Spun Sugar (inside) wins by a nose over Balletto in the Go For Wand Handicap at Saratoga
Vanessa Ng
The Sunday feature at Saratoga on opening weekend is the $250,000 Go For Wand Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Only 6 entered this event, with Todd Pletcher training half the field. Pletcher trainee Oonagh Maccool was sent off as the 3-2 favorite off of her wins in the Rampart and the Louisville BC and then a second in the Fleur de Lis. Take D'Tour was the 5-2 second choice, going into this race off a 4-race win streak including the Ogden Phipps at Belmont.
Prev
- Bernardini wins the 2006 Jim Dandy
- Javier Castellano gives Bernardini a kiss
- Bernardini in the winner's circle
- Angara wins the Diana Handicap
- Angara in the winner's circle
- Beaten favorite Lady of Venice
- Spun Sugar wins the Go For Wand Handicap
- Spun Sugar in the winner's circle
- Second place finisher Balletto
- Magnificent Song wins the Lake George
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