Tessa Blue bobbled at the break but once she got into stride, went to the lead to set a pace of 24.69, 49.25, and 1:13.57 while being stalked by Panty Raid the whole way. Entering the stretch, Tessa Blue tired as Panty Raid briefly took over the lead. However, Kettleoneup, who raced at the back of the field early, rallied along the inside and passed Panty Raid at the 1/8 pole. She drew away through the stretch to win by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:50.28 over the fast track. High Heels, who raced in midpack fourth most of the way, put in a good rally herself to pass Panty Raid late, taking second place by 1/2 a length over the favorite.
Trainer Mike Tomlinson said, "Calvin told us that her last two works she had felt better and felt stronger under him than she ever had, so we were pretty confident. We were concerned about the pace and there wasn’t much pace, but she was absolutely running away with it. It probably is a testament to how good she is right now. He has said all along that she is improving and learning all the time."
Jockey Calvin Borel added, "They did not go that fast early. They were kind of bunched up, but I could have been anywhere because this filly is doing so good since her last race. I think the older she gets, the better she gets. They were going kind of slow and we were creeping up on them. They kind of picked it up, but I was still sitting on her. I wasn’t losing any momentum and then I knew I had them."
Results Chart
