Treasure Beach gets first SW on special Saturday

Pleasant Acres kicked off the holiday weekend with special performances by a pair of 2-year-olds, one a filly by Treasure Beach and the other a colt by Poseidon’s Warrior. The filly, Decorated Ace, gave Treasure Beach his first stakes-winner by way of a sharp, stalking effort in the $78,000 Sorority Stakes at Monmouth Park, a  race that had been won in the past by greats Ruffian and Affectionately, and by the outstanding Eclipse Award-winning Florida-breds Forward Gal, Dearly Precious and Hollywood Wildcat.

Decorated Ace was a close-up fifth turning for home in the one-mile race when she moved to the two-path and powered past the leaders in the stretch to win going away by 1 1/4 lengths. What made it even more special is that she was a maiden going in, with her best finish a third in her previous race at odds of 70-1. The filly bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon has now earned $49,600. 

At Parx Racing, Splicethemainbrace chipped in with a real eye-opener in just his second start. The colt by Poseidon’s Warrior went off at 7/5 in the $72,250 maiden special based on a second-place finish in his debut and more than justified the bettors’ confidence. He took the lead leaving the gate under Mychel Sanchez, gave it up heading for the first quarter and took up a good position in second. Splicethemainbrace moved with a quick burst on the turn and just sprinted away from the field in the stretch, stretching his lead to 6 1/2 lengths while eased up at the wire. The colt earned $44,000 for owner/breeder Swilcan Stable and lifted his sire’s total to $1,144,919.