Nelson Bunker Hunt's Souris battled with You Glitter Girl for a half-mile before putting away that rival in the stretch en route to a two-length victory over favored Christmas Time in the $75,000 Top Flight Stakes Saturday at Arlington Park. Robby Albarado rode the Steve Asmussen-trained daughter of Defrere who covered the six furlongs over a fast track in a stakes record time of 1:11.08 and paid $4.80, $2.60 and
$2.10. "She's a kind filly," said Albarado, who picked up the mount when her regular rider Corey Lanerie went to Delaware Park to ride Confiding Winner in a stakes race there. "Steve has done a great job with her.I was just a passenger and I guided her in the right direction. My initial plan wasn't to be up there that close (to the pace), but she was well within herself. I rode her with the utmost confidence."You Glitter Girl held a short advantage in the early stages of the race, leading through fractions of 22.64 for the opening quarter and a half-mile split in 46.12 seconds. In the stretch Souris, who was never more than a head behind the leader, sprinted clear.Christmas Time, the even-money betting favorite, rallied from last to get within 1 1/2 lengths of the winner while posing no serious threat and finishing second, paying $2.60 and $2.10. You Glitter Girl returned $2.20 for the show. Golden Dayjur and Invader completed the order of finish."I have no excuse," said Christmas Time's jockey Rene Douglas. "She was second-best today. Everything happened the way I thought it would. The race set up the way I thought it would. I just couldn't catch the winner."The Top Flight was Souris' second win in as many starts. The Steve Asmussen trainee broke her maiden at first asking, scoring by 4 1/2 lengths at Arlington on Aug. 1. The $45,000 winner's share boosted her earnings to $64,800.
(Chart, Equibase)
