Coa won the Pete Axthelm Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf course with One Eyed Joker, then took Extend to the winner's circle following the Stage Door Betty Handicap for fillies and mares. One Eyed Joker edged Tour of the Cat by a half-length. The winner ran 7 1/2 furlongs in 1:28.15 on the firm turf and paid $9.20, $5.40, and $4.40. "I really had a perfect trip. I saved all the ground on the first turn," said Coa. "I had all the horse I wanted around the turn. I got him outside around the quarter-pole and he started running. He just ran away from these horses today."
Tour of the Cat returned $5.20 and $3.60, and Boastful paid $3.80 to show.
Extend beat Happily Unbridled by a neck in the 1 1/16th-mile Stage Door Betty. Extend was timed in 1:46.74 on the fast main track and paid $29.20, $10.40, and $7.20."This was a nice surprise for me," said the rider. "I did what I was supposed to do -- go to the lead and try to slow it down. I knew I was going fine but I was afraid she was going to need this race. Coming to the quarter-pole I saw those horses coming in and outside of me and going by me. I thought they were going to run away from me but she kept trying and digging and digging. She came back to beat that horse. She really ran good." Happily Unbridled returned $5.40 and $4.60, and Halo Reality paid $13.00 to show. (Charts, Equibase)
