By Jonathan Horowitz August 4, 2014 – Aurora, CO
Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colorado will host the Wathba Stud Farm Cup on August 8, the Grade 3 COBRA Distaff Sponsored by Soaring Eagle Ranch on August 16, and the Grade 3 COBRA Classic Sponsored by Crow Valley on August 17 in the final two weeks of the 2014 season.
Ms Dixie holding on against Lil Rich Girl in the Miles Massey Handicap, Saturday, August 2, 2014, capturing her ninth career stakes win for the Quarter Moon Ranch and trainer Powell Photo by Coady Photography
The Wathba Stud Farm Cup, whose $10,800 purse includes a $5,000 sponsorship from the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, will feature a full field of 12 in a maiden race over 6 furlongs. Five of the 12 competed in the Wathba Stud Farm Cup at Arapahoe Park on July 5. Breezell Lzp, who is owned by the Quarter Moon Ranch of Lori Long and trainer Scott Powell and will be ridden by Karlo Lopez, was the best finisher among them in second. Four Arabians will be making their racing debuts in the Wathba Stud Farm Cup on Friday.
This is the first year that Arapahoe Park has hosted the Wathba Stud Farm Cup, a global series that takes place in nine countries around the world. Etres Chic won Arapahoe’s first race in the series on May 25, and Zvezda captured the second on July 5.
The Miles Massey Handicap on Saturday, August 2, served as a prep race for Arapahoe Park’s two graded stakes races on closing weekend. The COBRA Distaff will be for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on August 16, and the COBRA Classic will be for older horses at 1 1/4 miles on August 17. Both Grade 3 races have $25,000 purses.
In the Miles Massey, two-time Darley Award winner Ms Dixie held on in a thrilling stretch duel with Lil Rich Girl in the one-mile, $9,350 contest. Jockey Kelsi Purcell pushed Ms Dixie to the lead after being caught wide in the opening turn. Ms Dixie was four lengths in front at the top of the stretch and held on with Lil Rich Girl and jockey Travis Wales charging to within a half-length at the finish line. Ms Dixie captured her ninth career stakes win for the Quarter Moon Ranch and trainer Powell.
Click to Watch the Replay of Miles Massey Handicap
Ms Dixie, in the barn of trainer Scott Powell at Arapahoe Park, Photo by Jonathan Horowitz
