For Immediate Release: Saturday, May 25, 2013

WINNING IMAGE DEFENDS CROWN IN MY JULIET Has Now Won Four of Five at Parx

Martin Scafidi’s Winning Image turned in a career year last year, capturing three stakes, doing it each time with her commanding front running speed. Rested since a victory in the $100,000 Willa on the Move Stakes at Laurel last December, the now six year-old Southern Image mare picked up right where she left off last year, going gate to wire Saturday afternoon at Parx Racing, winning the six furlong $75,000 My Juliet Stakes for the second consecutive time.

Breaking from the inside gate in a field scratched down to three, she broke with great alacrity and was immediately in front. In the opening sixteenth of a mile, she had already established a full length lead over the mare expected to be her main rival, Appealing Stella. Reaching the half mile pole, that lead was now just over a length as the jockey on Appealing Stella, John Bisono, did all he could to keep his mount close to possibly give her a chance to run by Winning Image through the stretch. At the far turn, the lead had grown to a length and a half and winning jockey Jose Caraballo still had his mare on cruise control. As they hit the quarter pole, the fractions were perfectly reasonable, 22.47 and 45.79, and the lead had now been extended to a full two lengths.

They would get no closer in the stretch. Caraballo roused Winning Image just a bit inside the eighth pole and the big, powerful looking chestnut mare responded and opened a three length lead before being geared down at the end for an official final margin of victory of two and a quarter lengths.

Bet down to thirty cents on the dollar, Winning Image returned a win price of $2.60 and finished out the six furlongs in 1:11.02. The win was her fourth in five starts over the Parx surface and increased her ever growing career bankroll to just over $435,000.