Roxelana Rambles in Latest Comeback Win

Roxelana, with Larry Melancon up, took the early lead and turned back a prolonged challenge by Freefourracing for a length victory in Friday's featured $58,200 allowance race for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs.

The 5-year-old daughter of Boundry, who was retired early in 2001 to begin her broodmare career, made the second start of her comeback following the loss of her first foal.

Roxelana covered the 6 ½ furlongs on a fast track in 1:16.82 and paid $3.00, $2.10 and $2.10. Freefourracing, with Pat Day in the irons, had aim on the winner in the final furlong , paying $2.10 and $2.10. Dorothy Ann, with Daniel Coa in the saddle, finished another two lengths back in third and paid $2.10.

Owned by William Landes III and trained William "Blackie" Huffman, Roxelana, who won the 2000 La Troienne (gr. III) at Churchill, where she is two-for-two, earned $36,420 to boost her lifetime bankroll to $230,126. The win was her sixth in nine career starts. She is undefeated in two starts since her comeback.

"She ran good," Huffman said. "There was a nice filly running at her. She set all the fractions and I thought it was a big race coming back off just one race. I'm very happy.

"It's like her second career. Obviously her 4-year-old year didn't have a lot of good days, with the surgery and everything. But it looks like maybe she's going to have another career here. She's absolutely perfectly sound. I'll tell you, it was a big kick for me."

(Chart, Equibase)