Spice Island Peppers Dowager Field

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Spice Island and jockey Cornelio Velasquez stalked patiently, seized the lead with an eighth of a mile remaining and drew away in the closing stages to win the $150,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes Sunday at Keeneland.

The 4-year-old daughter of Tabasco Cat caught Golden Rhythm and Snow Dance at the top of the stretch and then pulled way to a 6 ¼-length win in the 1 ½-mile turf race. The time was 2:31.93.

Ocean Silk, the 7-10 favorite who arrived only recently from Europe, rallied from far back to finish second, three-quarters of a length in front of Peacefally (IRE).

It was the sixth win in 19 starts for Spice Island, who is owned by Denlea Park Ltd. and trained by John S. Pregman, Jr. She increased her career earnings to $302,656.

Spice Island paid $25.60, $7.60 and $5.

Velasquez, who was riding his third winner of the day, said, "We had a great trip all the way and when we turned into the stretch I had a lot of horse left."

Ocean Silk brought two wins into the race along with a runner-up finish in the Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-I). She paid $3 and $2.40.

"She had absolutely no run on her mind at all," said jockey Pat Day. "Everything she did, I had to make her do. Even though she put in a good finish at the end, she was under duress."

Peacefally paid $7 to show.

Alternate finished fourth, followed, in order by Beyond the Waves, Golden Rhythm, Kabylia (IRE), Snow Dance, Miss Goosebumps and Still As Sweet (IRE).

Keeneland's attendance Sunday was 13,824.

(Chart, Equibase)

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