Oaks News

NEW ORLEANS, LA. (February 10, 2007) --

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable's Appealing Zophie led throughout in capturing the $200,000 Grade III Silverbulletday Stakes Saturday as part of the Louisiana Derby Preview Day card at Fair Grounds Race Course.

Appealing Zophie, with Eclipse Award winner John Velazquez up for trainer Steve Asmussen, battled Total through a soft early pace of :24.66 for the first quarter-mile and :48.93 for the half. By the time the leaders were turning for home in 1:13.60 for six furlongs, it had turned into a two-horse race, and the Grade I winner had something left, drawing clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths.

Appealing Zophie covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:44.13 and paid $5.60, $3.40 and $2.60 as the slight favorite in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies.

"She's a good filly," Asmussen said. "She didn't run her race (in her last start) at Delta (the Princess Dec. 1). We stayed on it with her.

"We would have liked to run her in the Tiffany Lass (at Fair Grounds Jan. 13), but we lost some time with her because of weather."

Velazquez was aboard the daughter of Successful Appeal for the first time.

"It's good to be right with the other speed horse (Total) and to slow it down like we did," said Velazquez. "When I hit her, she switched leads and got away from the 3 (Total)."

For all of the connections, it was their second stakes win of the afternoon. Asmussen and Heiligbrodt combined to capture the Taylor's Special Handicap with Gaff, and Velazquez rode odds-on favorite Master Command to victory in the Grade III Mineshaft Handicap.

Total was 1 3/4 lengths in front of Tiffany Lass Stakes winner Get Ready Bertie, who nosed out Dawn After Dawn in a photo for third. Total paid $3.80 and $2.60, while Get Ready Bertie returned $2.20 to show.

"She ran a little green, but that may be because she never had a horse (Appealing Zophie) leave her like that," said Total's rider, Jesse Campbell.

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