The Beldame was her first start at 1 1/8-mile, the distance of the Distaff. She had some trouble finding running room late but once clear, closed on Ashado -- who won the Distaff last year -- to only be beaten a half-length.
Happy Ticket, who gained a lot of believers after a strong second to Ashado in the Oct. 1 Beldame Stakes (gr. I), had her last workout Wednesday morning for Saturday's Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I).The 4-year-old Anet filly went to the training track near the end of training hours and went four furlongs in :46.56 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.67. Eighteen-year-old jockey Channing Hill was up for the move.The clockers noted as she galloped out she was well off the rail.Happy Ticket jogged easily around the training track once the wrong way, then turned and made her way through the stretch and around the pole. She was with a pony, who released her as she approached the quarter pole."She can't do it any better," trainer Andy Leggio said. "She was just going very easy. She looked like she wasn't even running."Leggio arrived back in New York from his Louisiana Downs base Tuesday night to oversee the final work for Stewart Madison's homebred filly. Happy Ticket has won 10 of her 12 starts.