Elizabeth J. Valando homebred Take the Cake is a chestnut daughter of Fly So Free trained by Carl Nafzger. In her only other stakes race, Take the Cake finished sixth in the Old Hat Stakes won by A New Twist, with French Satin third. Prior to that early January race, Take the Cake won her only other career starts, a Keeneland maiden race and Churchill Downs allowance. She earned $60,000 for Sunday's victory. (Chart, Equibase)
Odds-on favorite A New Twist set the pace through the opening quarter-mile then dueled with Cherokee Girl for a half-mile, before 22-1 longshot Take the Cake rolled by the leading pair to win the $100,000 Forward Gal Stakes (gr. III) by 3 1/4 lengths Sunday at Gulfstream Park. A New Twist beat third-place Cherokee Girl to the wire by a neck.Under jockey Rene Douglas, Take the Cake completed the seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies in 1:25.47 on a fast track. The winner returned $46.20, $7.40, and $2.10 and topped the exacta worth $88.20. 2-5 favorite A New Twist paid $2.40 and $2.10. Cherokee Girl was worth $2.10 to show.French Satin finished fourth, followed by Excellent Choice, Blissful Kiss, and Ciudad de Carson.
