| Vital Winner Closes Out Hialeah Park Season With Third Stakes Victory In Sailfish |
| Wednesday, 03 February 2010 | |||
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For immediate release Hialeah, FL, February 3- Sent off as the 1-9 post time favorite, Vital Winner came through as the star of closing day at Hialeah Park winning the inaugural Sailfish Stakes, the only race run this meet at 1000 yards and the first around a turn at Hialeah since 2001. The triumph propelled Vital Winner’s career earnings just over the $400,000 mark as his third stakes win this meet. A six-year-old gelding owned by Debra Gotovac, Vital Winner angled wide into the stretch and handled today’s six rivals with visual ease, stopping the clock in 52.336 over a fast track while a length and one quarter in front of runner-up Deedees Half Note. The win, his fifth from his last six starts, also marked the twentieth victory from 39 lifetime starts for the Texas bred trained by Brad Bolen and ridden by regular jockey Alex Baldillez, Jr. Trainer Donnie Strickland and jockey Thomas Byrd finished the meet as leaders in their respective divisions and were recognized in a winners’ circle ceremony here this afternoon, while trainer Armando Orozco finished up as the meet’s leading owner with his stock.
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