Congratulations to Virginia-Certified Street Lute, who won the $100,000 Wide Country Stakes, February 20th at Laurel. The daughter of Street Magician has won four other stakes at Laurel since mid-November: the Xtra Heat, Gin Talking, Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and Smart Halo. She spent her six month Virginia residency at Diana McClure’s DMC Carousel Stable in Berryville. Street Lute is trained by John Robb and owned by Lucky 7 Stables. Photos below courtesy of Jim McCue.
The following appeared in drf.com and was written by Dan Illman.
Street Lute continues to stamp herself as the dominant 3-year-old filly in the Mid-Atlantic region. She grabbed her fifth consecutive stakes with another tactical performance in the $100,000 Wide Country Stakes at seven furlongs.
A Maryland-bred daughter of Street Magician, Street Lute ($4) broke sharply, but jockey Xavier Perez opted to sit behind the hot pace set by Little Huntress and Whiskey and Rye.
Virginia-Certified Street Lute wins her fifth straight stakes — the Wide Country at Laurel on Feb. 20. Photo by Jim McCue.
Those two fillies battled through fractions of 22.62 and 44.91 before Perez made his move on the far turn. Street Lute gave an eye-catching run to pass the pacesetters, then kept about her business to hold off Fraudulent Charge’s late kick. Fraudulent Charge also finished second to Street Lute in the Gin Talking Stakes on Dec. 26.
“Once he asked her, it was all over,” said trainer Gina Robb, wife of trainer Jerry Robb, during a post-race interview broadcast by Laurel Park. “For her to chase the pace and finish the way she did, that was pretty spectacular. I think she kind of proved a point today.”
Street Lute cruised in the Xtra Heat. Stakes at Laurel. Photo by Jerry Dzierwinski.
Street Lute completed the seven furlongs in 1:23.59 seconds and finished one length ahead of Fraudulent Charge. Salt Plage finished third followed by Buckey’s Charm, Lady Clau, Miss Leslie, Whiskey and Rye, Little Huntress and My My Girl.