Finest City, a 4-year-old filly by City Zip, outlasted last year’s winner Wavell Avenue to win the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint. The seven furlongs went in 1:22.37. Paulassilverlining finished third. Finest City prevailed by three-quarters of a length. Wavell Avenue finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Paulassilverlining.
Finest City, a 4-year-old filly by City Zip, outlasted last year’s winner Wavell Avenue to win the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint. The seven furlongs went in 1:22.37. Paulassilverlining finished third. Finest City prevailed by three-quarters of a length. Wavell Avenue finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Paulassilverlining.
Finest City, owned by Seltzer Thoroughbreds, is a 4-year-old trained by Ian Kruljac and was ridden by Mike Smith, who exended his Breeders' Cup career win total to 24. Kruljac, 28, has been a trainer less than two years and now has a Breeders’ Cup win on his resume.
Finest City returned to the dirt off a pair of turf starts at Del Mar going longer. She was second, beaten a head by Avenge in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes on Sept. 4 (Avenge ran third earlier in the day in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf). This summer, Finest City was pitched at the highest level and ran third, beaten just 2 3/4 lengths by Beholder and Stellar Wind in the one-mile, Grade 1 Vanity Stakes