Lipstick City saved ground into the homestretch under a patient ride by Miguel Vasquez before rolling to a 3 ¼ -length victory in Thursday’s $75,000 Christmas Past Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Owned by Steve Laymon, Will Robbins, Richard Broadbent 1V, and Bill Robbins, Lipstick City ran a mile over a firm turf course in 1:36.77 to capture her second career stakes in the race named for Cynthia Phipps’ homebred mare who won the 1983 Gulfstream Park Handicap (G1). She won the Boiling Springs S. last July at Monmouth Park and wintered at Hidden Brook Florida Breaking Training.
The 4-year-old daughter of City Zip trailed the field as Conquest Hardcandy set fractions of 23.08 (seconds), 46.57 and 1:11.07 for six furlongs while pressured by Lover’s Key. Leaving the turn into the homestretch, the field fanned out while Vasquez opted to cut the corner for the stretch drive. Conquest Hardcandy continued on gamely in the stretch but was no match for Lipstick City, who shot to the lead along the rail and drew off to the wire.
“It was great, everybody moved early, I thought, got themselves fanned out, and she had a beautiful trip,” trainer David Fawkes said.
-edited from www.gulfstreampark.com
