For immediate release
Contact:
PETER AIELLO
Hialeah Park
(305) 885-8000 Ext. 280
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Hialeah, FL, January 31- Sophisticated Snow went from maiden to stakes winner in 21.391 seconds today at Hialeah Park with his neck-long triumph in the featured South Florida Quarter Horse Derby at 440 yards, while Chi Ter and One Tough Dude were visually impressive winning undercard stakes races today over a fast track under cloudy skies.

Trained by Adrian Soto, Sophisticated Snow was winless from seven previous starts but had finished second behind familiar rivals Shakem Blue and Thad Matta in his two most recent attempts this meet. The Texas-bred son of This Snow Is Royal from the Grade I-placed mare Sophisticated Sign earned just over $60,000 for owner Zeferino Garcia with today’s win from a total purse of $143,650, including added money. Shakem Blue did finish second, over a length ahead of third-place finisher Definatly Maybe. Post time favorite Gallant Corona was fourth. Winning jockey Rodrigo Vallejo collected his second win of the day aboard Sophisticated Snow.

Three-year-olds that ran in the South Florida Quarter Horse Derby trials but did not qualify got together in the $30,000 guaranteed Invitational consolation race today, and Chi Ter turned in a dominating performance as the 4-5 favorite under Alex Baldillez, Jr. for trainer Brian Muse, running 440 yards in 21.412. Between those two races, One Tough Dude registered his fourth consecutive win for trainer Paul Jones in the $27,500 Sunshine State Stakes over 220 yards, getting up by a neck as the even money favorite under jockey Larry Payne.

Live American Quarter Horse racing continues tomorrow at Hialeah Park and concludes this Tuesday, February 2, for the current season. Gates open at 1 p.m. and first post is 2:05.