Streaking Fillies Quite the Dillies

DEL MAR — Trainer Laura De Seroux kept one winning streak alive on Sunday and she’ll try to keep another going this Saturday.

Azeri, the top female main track performer in the country, toyed with her four rivals in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap for her fifth graded stakes win in a row and her eighth victory in nine career starts.

In six days, Astra, the best female turf runner in the U.S., will try for her fourth consecutive victory in the $500,000 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park.

The overwhelming 1-10 favorite, Azeri, a 4-year-old Jade Hunter filly owned by the late Allen Paulson, took the lead heading into the first turn of the Hirsch and from there it was only a matter of not whether she would win, but by how much.

At the wire, the 126-pound highweight had two lengths on Angel Gift, the longest shot in the field at 23-1, but jockey Mike Smith had her geared down at the wire, so the margin was deceptive.

She completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 3/5 and the $180,000 check put her over $1 million in earnings. Azeri, who spotted her opponents 10 to 12 pounds, stands now at $1,057,240.

“She was pulling a little bit going into the first turn and I’m glad it opened up the way it did for Mike and that he could let her gallop on,” said De Seroux. “That seems to be developing into her style, where she seems to be the happiest, and when she gets to the lead, she’s very relaxed.

“Carrying that amount of weight, I have a feeling, the way this race set up, it won’t take a lot out of her. I’m very relieved. I just want to go hug her now.”

Angel Gift, who had never before finished second in any of her previous seven races on dirt, wound up two lengths clear of 13-1 shot Se Me Acabo, then came Queen Of Wilshire and 6-1 second choice Irguns Angel, who faded badly in the stretch after being closest to the winner for six furlongs.

She finished 17 1/2 lengths behind Azeri.

De Seroux indicated Azeri will start once more before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Oct. 26 at Arlington.

The options are the $500,000 Ruffian Handicap on Sept. 14 at Belmont Park or the $200,000 Lady’s Secret Breeders’ Cup Handicap on Oct. 2 at Santa Anita.

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Thanks to a pair of $200,000 show bets on Azeri, there was a minus show pool of $130,262 in the Hirsch. There was $764,201 bet to show in the Grade II and $725,656 was wagered on the favorite. One of the $200,000 bets was made at the Meadowlands in New Jersey and the other was at Santa Anita.

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The career of Left Bank, who defeated a quality field in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga nine days ago, is almost certainly over.

The 5-year-old son of French Deputy underwent emergency surgery on Saturday night at Tufts New England Veterinary Medical Center’s Hospital for Large Animals after coming down with colic earlier in the day.

Owned by Michael Tabor, Left Bank had knocked off Street Cry, defending champion Lido Palace and Macho Uno in the Whitney, equaling a 28-year-old track record for 1 1/8 miles.

He has won 14 of 24 and earned more than $1.4 million.

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Orientate, the 2-5 favorite, led wire-to-wire for his third consecutive stakes victory, taking the $200,000 A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap by two lengths over Say Florida Sandy.

Owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis and trained by Wayne Lukas, the 4-year-old Mt. Livermore colt won more easily than the margin of victory would indicate. He was never challenged after clearing through a 22 4/5 opening quarter mile.

Giving Jerry Bailey his sixth stakes win of the meet, Orientate won for the eighth time in 17 starts and he’ll try for his first Grade I win in the $250,000 Forego on Sept. 1 at Saratoga.