My Sistersledge earns first win since Maryland Million score
My Sistersledge. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.
by Frank Vespe
Six months and a day after the best win of her career — in the 2017 edition of the $125,000 Maryland Million Ladies — My Sistersledge returned to Maryland, reunited with rider Julian Pimentel, and notched her first victory since then in a $42,000 allowance test at Laurel Park Sunday afternoon.
“She did great,” allowed trainer Mike Trombetta after the race.
Following her win in the Ladies, My Sistersledge made her next three starts, at Gulfstream Park. That included a bout in the $75,000 Tropical Park Oaks and a pair of tilts in second-level allowance contests.
“She run against really good horses at Gulfstream, and we had to run in the two-other-than down there because the Maryland Million counts against you,” Trombetta explained.
Back home, however, those Maryland Million victories don’t count towards allowance eligibility. That allowed Trombetta to drop My Sistersledge, a four-year-old Etched filly, down a step to face entry-level allowance foes.
The class relief helped.
Pimentel and his mount quickly grabbed a comfortable stalking spot a couple of lengths off the early leader while out in the clear in the three path. Madame X. led the field through sluggish early fractions, the opening quarter-mile passing in a leisurely 24.60, the half gone in 50.53 seconds.
Trombetta said that the dawdling early pace didn’t concern him.
Pimentel “looked like where he was comfortable,” he explained. “He was happy, and she was running on, and that was good.”
Soon after the half in the one-mile contest, Pimentel and My Sistersledge began to turn up the heat. They were within a half-length of Madame X. after three-quarters in 1:14.50.
From there, it was all but over. My Sistersledge spurted clear and went on to win by over two lengths. She stopped the timer in 1:37.38 for a mile over firm turf, traveling the last quarter-mile in a a blazing 22.88 seconds.
The second choice in the eight-horse field, My Sistersledge paid $5.80 to win and topped an exacta, with 9.70-1 Kitty’s Right, worth $19.90 for a buck.
My Sistersledge, out of the unraced Miesque’s Son mare Blushing Bride, is a homebred for his owners, John and Cheryl Banner. Bred in Maryland, she now has three wins and $164,498 in purse earnings from 15 career starts.
Trombetta said that a return date in the Ladies is “the long-term goal for her,” but that’s off in October. That leaves plenty of racing between here and there.
Up next? Could be a second-level allowance, or could be a stake, he said.
“Hopefully, we can run back in something Preakness weekend,” the conditioner said.
