Gasia Rolls in Delaware's Susan's Girl BC

(from Delaware Park)
Susan Knoll's Gasia, ridden by Mario Pino, won the $160,300 Susan's Girl Breeders' Cup for 3-year-old fillies at Delaware Park Saturday by one length.

J. Larry Jones trains the Kentucky-bred chestnut daughter of Silver Deputy who bid for the lead at the three-eighths pole and held the 19-10 favorite, Wonder Lady Anne L, at bay throught the home stretch.

The third-choice in the field of six, Gasia covered the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.32 over a fast main track and paid $11.40, $4.40 and $2.80. Wonder Lady Anne L with Jose Santos astride, returned $3.40 and $2.40. It was 2 ¼ lengths further back to Amandatude, ($2.40) with Stewart Elliott aboard, in third.

Gasia raised her career record to five wins from nine starts with earnings of $239,976. The Susan's Girl Breeders' Cup was her second career stake victory. Her next outing will likely be in the 1 1/16-mile Delaware Oaks (gr. II) to be run on July 15.

The winner tracked the early leader, Peak Maria's Way, through an opening quarter mile of :23 3/5 and :47 2/5 before assuming the lead by a head and completing six furlongs in 1:11.

"By drawing the one hole, we knew we had to save our position and not get shuffled back and squeezed back," said Jones. "I told Mario to feel free and go ahead and use her a little bit if he had to. But she broke good and just got right in there. Once they got settled down on the backstretch, she found herself in a forward position, which was very good for her.

"This filly has got a high cruising speed. She can run along pretty quick and do it pretty easy. So it worked real good."

Having won a race over the track gives Gasia an advantage in the Delaware Oaks when she will probably be facing some tough shippers.

"I think it definitely always helps," Jones said. "This is a very talented filly, and I am tickled to death we got the trip over the track."

Also on Saturday's Delaware card, Richard Saylor's Fleet Indian notched an impressive 7 3/4-length score in the $100,000 Obeah Stakes for fillies and mares, the final local prep for the Delaware Handicap (gr. II) on July 16.

Ridden by Jose Santos, the 5-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie won her fifth straight race. A New York-bred trained by Todd Pletcher, she returned $2.60 as the heavy favorite in the field of seven.

She covered the nine furlongs in 1:49.05 over a fast main track. Friel's for Real, with Stewart Elliott aboard, ran second, and it was another 2 ¼ lengths further back to Take a Check, with Mario Pino astride, in third.

Fleet Indian raised her career record to ten wins from 15 starts with earnings of $504,513. In her previous two outings, she won the Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne Park (gr. III) April 22 and the Next Move Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct March 26.

"She is very professional," said Santos. "She has been really impressive in her last three races. She really impressed me the day that she ran Hawthorne, and she was just as good if not better today. She is just getting better and better."

(Chart, Equibase)