Fowda Beats Paseana in Spinster Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fowda, the 6-1 second betting choice, held off 1-2 favorite Paseana for a 2 1/4-length wire-to-wire victory in the Grade I Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Sunday.

Paseana had five consecutive Grade I victories against females before running fifth against males in the $1-million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 30.

“My filly relaxed well, she finished well,” said Pat Valenzuela, Fowda’s jockey. “She drifted out slightly through the stretch, but she was running so I wasn’t going to fight her.”

Fowda, breaking from the No. 5 post, went to the lead and never gave it up against nine other fillies and mares. She covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49 4/5.

Lite Light, ridden by Eddie Delahousaye, ran a length off the pace before fading in the homestretch, and Chris McCarron guided Paseana into contention with a strong move along the rail.

But Fowda, a 4-year-old daughter of Strawberry Road out of Al Balessa, was able to withstand Paseana’s late bid.

“She didn’t get away real good,” McCarron said of Paseana. “She kind of took a little stutter step when the gates opened, and it caused her to kind of get banged around a little bit.”

Meadow Star, winless in seven races since winning the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park on June 9, 1991, finished another six lengths back in third under Pat Day, and Lite Light was fourth over the fast track.

The Spinster has produced five winners of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

“I think it says she’s the horse to beat,” Valenzuela said of Fowda’s chances in the Distaff. “Let’s just hope we get lucky in Florida.”