Dixie Strike darted home along the rail to take the Selene Stakes
Mark E. Casse trained 3-year-old filly, Dixie Strike, has been away from her favourite, Woodbine race course and its poly track since 3 December, 2011, and she showed how much she missed the synthetic surface over there when she unleashed a remarkable drive
on the inside to catch Tu Endie Wei by surprise, and take the Canadian Grade 3 Selene Stakes by a convincing margin of 3 ¾ lengths on 13 May, 2012.
Bred in Canada by Arosa Farms, Dixie Strike was exiting a fifth place finish in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes over the Keeneland’s poly track to winner, Karlovy Vary.
Reunited with ride Patrick Husbands, Dixie Strike was pegged back and allowed the early pace to go, as Tu Endie Wei continued leading the pack with the half mile fraction of 49.29 seconds.
Wait Til Dawn contested the pace for a good part of race, but Tu Endie Wei held her advantage even after rounding off the bend, as she still led the field at the homestretch.
It was time for Husbands to urge her filly, and when the couple found a pocket of space on the inside, Dixie Strike unleashed an awesome run to take down the pace setter in the stretch to win the race by a convincing margin, as she had defeated Tu Endie
Wei at the eighth pole.
The 3-year-old Dixie Union filly covered the 1 1/16 mile distance in 1 minute and 43.79 seconds, as Tu Endie Wei finished second and Katie Get Excited finished third under jockey Justin Stein for trainer Ricky Griffith.
“I gunned her away (from the starting gate), and then she wasn’t comfortable,” said Husbands. “I just left her alone, and she got her legs together. She showed me that she was the best today.”
Out of Smart Strike mare Noble Strike, Dixie Strike has an impeccable record at Woodbine’s poly track where she had raced five times now, and has gone on to win thrice with two second place finishes.
She started off the 2012 campaign with a win in the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs, and then finished third to winner, Dayatthespa, in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes.
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