Five Fillies Stable's Sistas Stroll gave jockey Drayden Van Dyke his first graded stakes score Sept. 13 as Tom Proctor trainees ran 1-2 in the $150,000 Pucker Up Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Arlington International Racecourse (VIDEO).
The 3-year-old daughter of Stroll edged stablemate V V Goodnight by 1 1/2 lengths to take the 1 1/8-mile test over soft going. Final time was 1:55.13 with the rail set out in lane five.
The Pucker Up was a third straight victory and a first stakes win for 15-2 shot Sistas Stroll. She broke her maiden at Churchill Downs in June at second asking and won an Aug. 16 Del Mar allowance going the Pucker Up distance in solid fashion last time out.
The 5-2 favorite, Final Redemption, set out for the early lead in a field of nine sophomore fillies to clock a quarter in :24.29 and a half in :50.36 while maintaining a length over Annulment. The eventual winner was still back fourth, but improved her position to third while splitting horses as three-quarters went in 1:16.38.
Continuing with a steady bid to get on even terms with Final Redemption, Sistas Stroll wrested command and then kicked clear while galloping a 1:42.60 mile. V V Goodnight made a rail-skimming late run and then shifted out to gain the place, but ran out of ground to catch the winner. It was three lengths back to Maria Maria, who checked in third.
"It worked out really well for me. I saved ground the whole way," Van Dyke said. "I just had one horse in front of me (at the end). She kind of came down on the rail and I just went by her. She really finished well."
Sistas Stroll returned $17.20, $7.80, and $5.80 under a 120-pound assignment, while V V Goodnight paid $6.40 and $4.40. Maria Maria brought $8.60 as Final Redemption, 124-pound topweight Aurelia's Belle, Ameliatheaviator, Stellaris, Annulment, and Kiss Moon completed the order of finish.
An objection lodged by James Graham, jockey aboard Stellaris, against Mike Smith on V V Goodnight for alleged interference on the turn was disallowed by the stewards.
Bred in Kentucky by E. H. Beau Lane II out of the Bernstein mare Berncredit, Sistas Stroll was a $20,000 purchase at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale when consigned by Beau Lane Bloodstock. She improved her record to earnings of $164,600, with those three victories and a third from four starts.
