Salty Strike completes her hat-trick in the $100,000 Gardenia Stakes at Ellis Park
Salty Strike took off and never looked back in the Grade 3, $100,000 Gardenia Stakes at Ellis Park on 11th August, 2012, which gave the filly her third consecutive victory.
The four-year-old was mounted by Victor Lebron in the 1 mile race, and the strategy of leading from start to finish worked out particularly well.
She was the first out of the gate and was followed by Joyful Victory, who never had an opportunity to catch up.
Trained by Kenneth G. McPeek, the older division filly carved quick fractions, as she finished the first quarter of a mile in 23.71 seconds. She crossed the half-mile margin in 47.21 seconds. At this point, the pace of the race quickened.
Despite this, the daughter of Smart Strike did not falter and she completed six furlongs in 1 minute and 11.68 seconds, with Joyful Victory and Holiday Soiree in hot pursuit.
She completed the race in 1 minute and 36.81 seconds, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Joyful Victory. The third place was taken by Ridgester, who fell five lengths behind the runner-up.
Owned by Craig B. Singer, the filly holds an overall record of 7-1-1 in 16 starts and now has earnings worth $367,060.
Over the course of her career, the Kentucky bred runner has seen her fair share of success. Whelped in 2008, the filly competed in the Grade 3 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs, her first Graded race and stood third.
In her sophomore campaign, the runner won the Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs, and finished 4th in the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes. She ended the season in style when she claimed a victory in the Dream Supreme Stakes.
The runner has been at the top of her game in her last three starts. Before the Gardenia Stakes, she won the Prairie Rose Stakes at Prairie Meadows and the Roxelana Stakes at Churchill Downs in June, 2012.
Before the Gardenia, her handler took her on a series of work-outs at Churchill Downs, as she breezed 4 furlongs in 49.20 seconds.
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