Stevens Wins Lassie With Delicate Vine

Undefeated Delicate Vine, under a patient ride by Gary Stevens, coasted past Sacahuista and Ruling Angel in the stretch Friday and won the $276,100 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes by 1 lengths for her fourth straight victory.

The favorite in the field of six 2-year-old fillies, Delicate Vine paid $3.40 to win, giving Stevens his second stakes victory in as many days at Arlington Park. Stevens also won with Top Corsage Thursday in the Arlington Oaks.

Sacahuista, winner of two stakes at Saratoga in her last two starts, was dueling Ruling Angel, who was also undefeated, for the lead at the top of the stretch when Delicate Vine came on in the middle of the track and overtook both of them.

Delicate Vine, trained by Bobby Frankel, ran the seven furlongs in 1:23 2/5.

A $15,000 supplementary starter, Delicate Vine earned $165,660 for her owners--Frankel, Greg Alsdorf and Jerry Moss.

Sacahuista hung on for second, finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of Ruling Angel. It was 1 1/2 lengths farther back to Collins in fourth place.

“This filly runs like an older horse, which allows you to do different things with her,” Stevens said. “She’s developed fast. Going down the backstretch today, she wasn’t handling the track that well, but from the quarter pole home, she took to running. This was her toughest race, but it really wasn’t that difficult.”