NEWS: RACING

A Day in Paradise draws off to take Sam Houston’s Texas Heritage S.

Sunday, March 1st, 2015
A Day In Paradise - Texas Heritage Stakes - 02-28-15 - R08 - HOU - Inside Finish

Coady Photography

by Sarah Mace

Tommy G. Ligon’s, A Day in Paradise, a 3-year old bay Yes It’s True gelding bred by Anstu Farm LLC, became a stakes winner in his sophomore bow, when he drew off in the stretch to take the one-mile, $50,000 Texas Heritage Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday evening.

Trained by Larry Jones and ridden by Kerwin Clark, A Day in Paradise was making his fifth start for his first stakes appearance. A Keeneland maiden-breaker routing, he was last seen at Fair Grounds on December 28 delivering a career-best performance when he finished second after a sound bump at the start in a one-mile first-level allowance, for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81.

Exiting post two as the 3-5 favorite, A Day in Paradise grabbed a cozy spot at the rail and moved into the top spot. Joined up front by longshot Witt Six, the two vied for the lead through the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch run through a first half mile in 49.71. Dogged by this persistent rival through the far turn, A Day in Paradise began to get clear in upper stretch and opened up in the final furlong, drawing off to a 3 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:40.38.

Foaled at Vinery New York at Sugar Maple in Poughquag, A Day in Paradise is one of four winners from four foals to start out of the unraced mare Tiz Paula, a daughter of Tiz Now out of stakes winner Paula’s Girl (Phone Trick).

Coady Photography

Coady Photography

The gelding changed hands twice at public auction, selling for $7,500 as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton’s 2013 October sale in Kentucky and bringing $50,000 last spring at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds.

His record now stands at two firsts, a second and third from five starts with $73,140 in earnings.

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