HorseracingFLA Staff Report
Sunday, Sept. 13 — Perfect Step won the first stakes race of her career on Friday, beating Zamquick by 1 3/4 lengths in the $75,000 Hard Worker at five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream Park.
Perfect Step (above photo) was ridden by Edgar Prado and won in a solid time of 56,08 seconds on a course listed as firm. The Hard Worker was for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.
It was the fourth win in a row for the 6-year-old Perfect Step–all on the turf at Gulfstream.
It was her second win in two starts for owners Anthony Newman and Aventura Stable and trainer Peter Walder. They claimed her for $25,000 out of a race at Gulfstream on July 5. She was previously owned by a group headed by Carson Springs Farm and was trained by Ron Spatz.
Perfect Step was the 7-2 second choice in a six-horse field in the Hard Worker,
She was in third place entering the stretch and then surged to the front after early leaders Angie’s Prim Lady and R Free Roll began fading. She was clearly in front before Zamquick made a late run to finish second.
Angie’s Prim Lady held on for third. She was followed by Red Minx, R Free Roll and Our Liberty Bay.
The win was Perfect Step’s ninth in 26 career starts and raised her career earnings to $262,380.
Perfect Step is a daughter of Congrats and was bred in Illinois. She raced in that state until late last year when the Carson Springs group transferred her to South Florida, first under trainer Christine Janks and later under Spatz.
Photo from Gulfstream Park, by Leslie Martin
