"We went a little fast the first quarter (mile) but I was able to slow it down," said Baze. "We didn't get pressured until the turn and she couldn't answer the question when I asked her."Maddie's Charm, owned Alki Roma and Bill Retzer, earned $33,650 for the victory. She paid $12.60 to win as the third choice in the betting. (Chart, Equibase)
Maddie's Charm successfully made a huge class jump Saturday at Golden Gate Fields when she splashed to a 1 1/4-length victory in the $60,650 Corte Madera Stakes. Maddie's Charm captured the Corte Madera, a one-mile test for 2-year-old fillies, in her first race since her maiden victory on Nov. 27. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Capote broke her maiden on the turf but was faced with a sloppy main track Saturday. Ridden by veteran Roberto Gonzalez and trained by Jeff Bonde, Maddie's Charm handled the slop like a pro. The bay filly took command from odds-on favorite Viansa Ossidiana at the top of the stretch and then held off late-running Tale Of A Dream to earn her second victory in five career races. "I think she's a better filly on turf and when Jeff told me the stakes was on the dirt I was disappointed, but she handled it (the sloppy track) great," said Gonzalez. "I had horse the whole way. I could have gone to the lead from the gate."Viansa Ossidiana, the 3-5 favorite ridden by Russell Baze, enjoyed an uncontested lead for the first half-mile of the Corte Madera before being challenged on the turn by Maddie's Charm. "I thought we needed to put pressure on Russell so I let my horse go and she drug me to the lead," said Gonzalez. "She slowed down when she saw the gate marks (on the racetrack in deep stretch) so I got busy on her."Tale Of A Dream, ridden by apprentice Francisco Duran, finished strongly but couldn't run down Maddie's Charm, who stopped the timer in 1:35.78.Baze said favored Viansa Ossidiana had no excuse.