My Dinah Gets a Well-Deserved Second Career Stakes Victory in the Fleet Indian

by Sarah Mace

In the seven-furlong $70,000 Fleet Indian Stakes featured on Saratoga’s “College Day”/”Party at the Spa” Friday twilight card, Akindale Farm’s resilient five-year-old mare My Dinah hit the wire with her head in front of stakes-winner Meese Rocks to score a second career stakes victory in a competitive field of seven New York-bred fillies and mares three and up.

My Dinah had not visited the winner’s circle since May of last year, and had only one lifetime stakes victory to her credit – in the one-mile Illiterate Stakes over a muddy surface at Aqueduct last April. Still, the hard-knocking mare is stubborn, always tries hard and, although often having to settle for lesser honors, keeps company with some of the better fillies and mares in her division in both state and open races. Last year My Dinah ran sixteen times, earned over $200,000 and compiled a record of 3-5-2 for Kathleen Feron, who has trained her since she was two.

My Dinah went to the post as fifth choice of the six betting interests (at odds of 7.10-to-1) with, at least on the face of it, good reason. The field looked deep, she had no previous wins at seven furlongs, no Saratoga scores, and in her four starts this year, had only a third place finish to show for it (the Hilbys Brite Flight overnight stakes for older fillies and mares at Aqueduct in her 2010 debut). This made it easy to overlook her late-running style in speedy field, and the fact that she has been knocking heads this year with the likes of Sapphire Sky and Rightly So. In her previous start she had a decent outing in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses (which was won by New York-bred Rightly So).

With jockey Jose Espinoza aboard, her pilot in all but four of her career starts, My Dinah broke sharply from post six (on the extreme outside after the late scratch of Wicked Diva). Meese Rocks and Sweet Lorena, both showing early speed, hooked up on the front end, with Shine Upon coming up in between them and running third. Weathered also came on the scene early, moving up through an opening on the rail on her way to capture the lead on the backstretch. By this point My Dinah had settled in to track in fifth position.

After a first quarter that went in 22.81, Meese Rocks advanced again, and by the time the field had gone four panels in 45.64, was in front and poised for her stretch run. My Dinah, who circled horses three wide on the turn, swung out into the four path in the stretch and continued to close as the others dropped out of contention. Meese Rocks tried grimly to hold on, but My Dinah wore her down in the end, and collared her at the wire. Eager Emma got get up for third 2 ½ lengths behind the leaders. Shine Upon, entry-mates Lovely Daniella and Sweet Lorena, and Weathered completed the order of finish. The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:22.86 over a fast track.

Bred by the late John Hettinger, and foaled and raised at Akindale farm, My Dinah now has a record of 7-7-6 from 36 starts and earnings of $412,594. A daughter of Victory Gallop, My Dinah is the second of four registered New York-bred foals to start (and three to win) from Akindale homebred So Long Dearie by D’Accord. My Dinah’s older half-sister is multiple stakes-winning Them There Eyes by Holy Bull, who earned $289,300, and her three-year-old half-brother Cayo Hueso, by City Zip, has so far compiled a record of 2-3-2 from 14 starts with $81,498 in earnings. To date the progeny of So Long Dearie have earned just shy of $800,000. She has an unraced two-year-old colt by Bandini (Volente), an unnamed yearling colt by Langfuhr and, barren this year, has been bred to Tale of the Cat.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2010/07/31/my-dinah-fleet-indian/

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