Florentine Easily Wins Anne Burnett Handicap

Quarter horse racing’s newest millionaire, Florentine, turned in another championship performance at Los Alamitos on Friday night, breezing to a 3/4-length victory over Brace Your Glass in the $50,000 Anne Burnett Handicap.

With all-time leading stakes rider Kenneth Hart aboard, Florentine broke in good fashion from her No. 3 post and widened her margin in effortless style the last sixteenth, covering the 400 yards in a rapid 19.75.

“It was over when they said go,” said Hart, who has 123 local stakes wins. “You have to ride her to know what a dream she is. It would take a great horse to beat her.”

In recording her fourth victory in four starts this year, Florentine increased her lifetime earnings to $1,033,852. The Dash For Cash mare has won three Grade I stakes races this summer--the Go Man Go Handicap, Vessels Maturity and the Anne Burnett.

Trainer Russell Harris finished 1-2 in the race, as Brace Your Glass rallied to finish ahead of La Peligrosita and Woodstocks Chic.

Passem Dirty, the original third-place finisher, was disqualified and placed last for interference down the stretch.

Sent off as the 1-2 favorite, Florentine returned $3, $2.60 and $2.40. Brace Your Glass paid $3.20 and $3.