The longest shot on the board at 17-1, Barry L. King’s Flashy Lassie came from off the pace to collar Five Star Momma in the late going to take the $109,300 Debutante (gr. III) (VIDEO) June 25 at Churchill Downs.
With Kent Desormeaux aboard for trainer Gary Simms, Flashy Lassie was next-to-last in a field of seven 2-year-old fillies for a half-mile before making her winning move coming off the turn. The daughter of Flashy Bull had a lot of work to do to catch Five Star Momma, who had opened up a 2 1/2-length advantage at the top of the stretch, but was able to run down her rival in the final yards to win by one length.
Five Star Momma and Corey Lanerie were 8 3/4 lengths clear of third-place Queen Teuta. The final time for six furlongs on the fast dirt was 1:10.89.
The Debutante was the first graded race of the year for juvenile fillies.
Favored Culotte set the pace through the opening quarter-mile in :21.57 before Five Star Momma took over on the turn. She ran a half-mile in :45.16.
Flashy Lassie had one start entering the Debutante, that coming on May 13 at Churchill when she went wire-to-wire in a $20,000 maiden claimer to win by nine lengths. The chestnut filly, bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Hugh G. King, is out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Pop Lassie.
The victory marked the first stakes win at Churchill for Simms, who has waged a battle with melanoma since early 2010.
“I’ve had two bone marrow transplants and stem cells since December, but I’m doing well now,” Simms said.
“I have to give all the credit to Kent. They were flying up front and he just took his time. I told him not to pay any attention to that maiden 20 (thousand dollar claiming) win because, believe me, she could have won a maiden special (weight). She’s a nice filly, has a ton of heart and does everything right. She’s smart."
The winner was bought for $4,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall 2010 yearling sale. Warrendale Sales, agent, consigned the filly.
Flashy Lassie paid $37.20, $14.20, and $6.80. The exacta (5-1) returned $205 and the trifecta (5-1-2) was worth $1,170.20.
My Due Process finished fourth, followed by Tippy Toes, Culotte, and Shocktime. Defy Gravity was scratched.
