Farrell All Class In $125,000 Pippin

HOT SPRINGS, AR – Coffeepot Stables’ homebred Farrell was all class, holding off a slew of graded stakes winners en route to wiring Saturday’s $125,000 Pippin Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

Off sharply from the inside post under Channing Hill, Farrell beat local favorite Terra Promessa to the lead heading into the first turn and clicked off fractions of :23.32, :46.94, and 1:12.00 with Terra Promessa flanking her outside. Exiting the far turn, Terra Promessa began fading and was quickly surpassed by stablemate Ever So Clever, who was rallying hard from mid-pack. As the wire neared, Ever So Clever continued gaining on the leader, but it proved not enough, as Farrell crossed first by 3/4 of a length in a final time of 1:45.41 for the 1 1/16-mile main track event.

“Just handicapping the race, I was kind of hoping we would draw outside Terra Promessa, just to kind of make it a little simpler,” Hill said. “But the filly broke sharp today and put me on the pace. Her ears never came back until I asked her to run. That other filly (Ever So Clever), give her a lot of credit. She came charging at us and my filly kind of showed her class and just kind of stretched her legs out.”

Streamline overcame being boxed down the stretch to take third, a 1/2-length in front of Impasse. Terra Promessa flattened in the stretch to finish fifth, with Miner’s Cat, Mo’s M V P, and Bootsy’s Girl completing the order of finish. Rachel’s Temper, Ruby Sioux, and Someday Soon were scratched.

The win was Farrell’s second straight after taking the Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs on November 4 and improved her record to 11-7-0-1. The 4-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon increased her career earnings to $802,077 after taking home $75,000 for the victory. Trainer Wayne Catalano could spot her next in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap here in mid-April.

“She stepped up today,” Catalano said. “This was a solid field. The goal is the Apple Blossom. We’re trying to win a Grade 1 with her. That’s why we’re running her here today. The Apple Blossom – a Grade 1 – that’s what we’re here for.”

Farrell returned $6.20 to win, $3.60 to place, and $3.20 to show. Ever So Clever brought back $4.80 to place and $3.20 to show, while Streamline paid $3 to show.

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