Slew's Final Answer had the solution in Tampa Bay Downs' $60,000 Minaret Stakes on Saturday. She tracked the leaders and swept around the far turn to run down tiring front-runner Beautiful Honor and bold 100-1 long shot Diablosangeleyes for a convincing 3 ½-length win in the six-furlong dirt stakes for older fillies and mares. Under some right-handed urging from Jose Ferrer, Slew's Final Answer rallied past a fading Beautiful Honor while leaving the furlong grounds to win going away. Diablosangeleyes passed the Beautiful Honor by 1 ¼ lengths for second. Final time was 1:10.54. Slew's Final Answer paid $6.80 as the 2.40-1 favorite in the 13-horse field.Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott for Live Oak Plantation, the 6-year-old daughter of Seattle Slew was unhurried early for Ferrer while tracking outside in fifth. Early leaders Beautiful Honor and Crafty Tears battled through early fractions of :21.72 and :45.03 for the first half-mile.Ferrer made a four wide move rounding the turn to close on leaders Beautiful Honor and Diablosangeleyes who had reached contention after his own move on the turn sent him from fourth to second.After winning the Ready Jet Go stakes at Meadowlands in October, Slew's Final Answer finished second in the Montclair State College at Meadowlands and third in the Connies Magic, a Calder overnight stakes Dec. 13.Slew's Final Answer, bred in Kentucky by Groussemont Farm, improved her record to 8-6-2 in 21 starts with the win. Out of the Fortunate Prospect mare, Fortune Pending, she boosted her career bankroll to $340,567 with the $27,000 winner's share of the purse.The Minaret was the first leg of Tampa's $180,000 Distaff Classic series which is comprised of the Minaret, the seven-furlong Manatee on Feb. 12 and the 1 1/16-mile Wayward Lass on March 5.
(Chart, Equibase)