Pauline's Pearl Shines in Fleur de Lis

With a race short of competitors, the July 1 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Ellis Park was not short of drama. Scratched down from eight entrants to a field of only three, the race unfolded with just a length separating the participants, with grade 1 winner Pauline's Pearl rallying to victory in the closing strides to edge A Mo Reay and Bellamore. The winner scored by three-quarters of a length with Bellamore a neck in front of A Mo Reay to cross the wire in second, though the outcome among the secondary finishers was determined by track stewards, who ruled Bellamore impeded A Mo Reay for drifting out in the stretch. That lifted A Mo Reay from third to second and resulted in the demotion of Bellamore from second to third. Pauline's Pearl, second choice in the race at 2-1 behind heavily favored A Mo Reay, managed to prevail Saturday despite a moderate pace appearing to benefit frontrunning Bellamore and pace-chasing A Mo Reay. But under handling from jockey Joel Rosario, Pauline's Pearl was able to slowly advance on the leaders on the second turn and down the stretch to prevail in the 1 1/8-mile race. The winner was timed in 1:49.59 for the distance following splits of :24:49, :48.06, and 1:11.28 set by Bellamore. Pauline's Pearl, a homebred 5-year-old daughter of Tapit trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, paid $6.52 to win. "A quality group of mares there that just laid it down and she was very impressive," said Asmussen assistant Scott Blasi. "But I was very happy with Joel getting her away from the gate so well and putting her in a position to give herself a chance to win and when he tipped her out, turned for home, she was full of run." In victory Saturday, Pauline's Pearl rebounded from a pair of lackluster efforts when seventh in the Beholder Mile (G1) when sent west to Santa Anita Park and when sixth in the La Troienne Stakes (G1) May 5 at Churchill Downs. Those races followed a win in the Houston Ladies Classic (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park in her first start of the year. Last year at 4, she won the La Troienne and Houston Ladies Classic, also with Rosario in the saddle. She was given a break over the second half of the year after a third-place finish in the 2022 Fleur de Lis. "She's a special horse. She's very smart," Rosario said. "Every time I try to ride her, I just try to get along with her. She's the one who does the job." The Fleur de Lis, a longtime stakes fixture at Churchill Downs, was moved to Ellis Park this year when the second half of the Churchill Downs spring meet was shifted to the Henderson, Ky., track after a spike of equine breakdowns at Churchill Downs. As part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen program, the Fleur de Lis provided a tiered financial bonus to its 1-2-3 finishers applicable toward fees to compete in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. The blue-blooded Pauline's Pearl is among four winners and three stakes horses produced from Stonestreet's grade 1-winning Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick. The most recent foals out of the 16-year-old mare are a 2-year-old Constitution colt named Mister Lincoln and a yearling Quality Road colt.