Augustin Stable and Catherine Parke’s SPARKLE BLUE added another stakes win to her resume yesterday afternoon at Laurel Park in the Big Dreyfus Stakes. Contested at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, the listed stake saw a field of seven 3YO & up fillies and mares enter the gate.
Jorge Ruiz was aboard the 4-year-old Hard Spun filly for the first time. The pair were “well settled and in hand” down the backstretch with just 5 1/2 lengths covering the entire field. After making their way through traffic coming out of the final turn, they kicked clear of the field and pulled away to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
Sparkle Blue is particularly special to breeder Catherine Parke. She is the last foal of Parke’s blue hen mare Silk N’ Sapphire (by Smart Strike), dam of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Shared Account. Parke raised Sparkle Blue at her Valkyre Stud near Lexington, KY and was delighted to be on hand at Keeneland last October when the filly won her first graded stake, the Rubicon Valley View Stakes-G3.
Yesterday’s win brings Sparkle Blue’s record to five wins from 11 starts and $477,175 to her credit. Congratulations to Augustin Stable and Catherine Parke!