Bridgmohan lands Stakes

FLORENCE, Kentucky (CMC):

Shaun Bridgmohan made Blushing Dixie's first career start at Turfway Park memorable, with a victory in the US$50,000 feature Fairway Fun Stakes on Saturday's 12-race card.

The Jamaican reinsman and Blushing Dixie duelled with even-money favourite Miss Luann, under Irwin Rosendo, for the entire length of the stretch and wore her down to take victory by a neck.

It was Bridgmohan's eighth stakes win for the year in the United States and the first career stakes victory for Blushing Dixie. The five-year-old, bay mare finished 1,700 metres on the Polytrack in one minute, 45.88 seconds, a little over three seconds outside the track record.

"I thought she had a nice trip behind the speed and when I was ready I kind of came up the inside," said Bridgmohan. "I followed the horse I thought was the one to beat (Miss Luann) and there was room on the inside, so I went ahead and let her run up in there.

"She dug in and fought all the way to the wire. She gutted it out real well."

It was the third victory in 20 starts for Blushing Dixie, a daughter of Dixie Union out of Broad Queen.