Dancing N Dixie’s stretch run wins $250,000 Tepin

It was just a matter of time. In three straight graded stakes on the grass, Dancing N Dixie rallied from dead last, rolled down the stretch fastest of all only to finish third, and only because the wire came up too soon. She fell short by a length in the Gr. III Florida Oaks at Tampa, by three-quarters in the Gr. II Appalachian at Keeneland, and by 1 1/2 lengths in the Edgewood at Churchill Downs.

That all ended Saturday.

With Jose Ortiz in the irons, the 3-year-old daughter of Neolithic came from last place at the top of the stretch in the $250,000 Tepin Stakes at Churchill, inhaled the pack in mid-stretch and won the one-mile race by a neck, clocked in 1:36.04. She paid $11.78 and received an Equibase speed figure of 104, her third straight race over 100.

Owners Gary Barber, Rocky Top Stables (Jackie Ventura) and LEMB Stables collected $135,315, which raised Dancing N Dixie’s 10-race total to $320,550 on a record of 3-0-3. The $35,000 OBS Open 2-year-old bred by the late former NFL player Freddy Hyatt is trained by Hall of Fame Ocalan Mark Casse, who, ironically, was the trainer of Tepin, an earner of $4.4 million.

Neolithic welcomed another winner on Saturday when Private Thoughts, bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon, captured a $44,000 starter optional claimer over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park. The 3-year-old gelding was an $11,000 OBS March 2-year-old, owned by attorney David Romanik and trainer Ron Spatz.

Private Thoughts was away alertly in the race at a mile and 70 yards and immediately hooked up in a duel outside of Adios Cole. The two battled on the lead the rest of the way, with Private Thoughts finally edging his lone foe by three-quarters of a length in 1:40.98 and collecting a check for $25,900. That increased his total to $113,184 on a record of 3-1-2 in eight starts.