Dixie Band remains unbeaten in Arlington-Washington
Futurity
Darrell and Evelyn Yates’ DIXIE BAND (Dixie Union) remained unbeaten with a
determined late run in Saturday’s $150,000
Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3), wearing down U Appeal to Me (Successful
Appeal) in deep stretch to win going away by 1 3/4 lengths. The Wayne
Catalano-trained juvenile was prominent from the start in his graded debut,
tracking in third as pacesetter Beware the Tiger (Hold That Tiger) rattled off
splits of :23 2/5, :47 3/5 and 1:12 4/5. U Appeal to Me moved from second to
take the lead in midstretch, but he couldn’t hold off Dixie Band on the outside.
The winner completed the one-turn mile in 1:39 2/5 on Polytrack.
Favored at 4-5, the bay gelding paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.10. U Appeal to Me
was off at 9-1 and returned $5.80 and $3.60 after holding second by a nose over
the 3-1 Piscitelli (Victory Gallop), who yielded $3. It was 5 1/2 lengths back
to the near 8-1 Oak Motte (Valid Expectations), and Beware the Tiger, Kratisto
(Afleet Alex) and Herecomesbert (Purge) rounded out the order of finish. The exotics totaled $18.60 (exacta), $55.60 (trifecta) and $176.20 (7-2-5-3
superfecta).
Dixie Band is now three for three with $136,920 in earnings. He opened his
racing career with a 3 1/4-length maiden special weight score going 4 1/2
furlongs at Arlington on June 21, and entered the Futurity off a 1 1/2-length
plundering of the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid S. on August 8. Bred in Kentucky
by G. Watts Humphrey Jr., Dixie Band sold for $50,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and was purchased by his current connections
for $60,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale as a two-year-old in training earlier this
year.
He’s out of the stakes-winning and Grade 3-placed Tutorial (Forty Niner), who
is also the dam of a 2009 filly by Rock Hard Ten. The 13-year-old mare is a
half-sister to 1994 Adirondack S. (G2) victress and graded stakes producer Seeking Regina (Seeking the
Gold). This is the family of Just Jenda (Menifee), winner of this year’s
Monmouth Oaks (G3) and Honeybee S. (G3), and 1986 Blue Grass S. (G1) hero
Bachelor Beau (Raised Socially).