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Derby Lane ends its 76th season as the 3-year-old female repeats as the
By BOB PUTNAM
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 1, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- It was deja vu for Boot Scootin Gal on Saturday, the closing night of Derby Lane's 76th season.
The black 3-year-old female ran the St. Petersburg Derby from the No. 3 post, the same post she won the stake race last season.
The results were the same, too.
Boot Scootin Gal defended her title in the three-eighths of a mile race, finishing in 37.57 seconds.
"It was a promising sign (the No. 3 post)," trainer Keith Mendheim said.
Instead of charging from behind as she did to win last season, Boot Scooting Gal led after the first turn and cruised.
"She broke out in the front tonight, but she's been a real consistent dog," Mendheim said.
Greys Free Bird and N Big Ed placed and showed respectively. Isabel Margarita finished fourth and Spanish Annie was fifth. Spanish Annie belongs to Ryan Farms Kennel, which won the kennel standings at Derby Lane for the third year in a row, a record streak at the track.
The only thing he has not been able to win is a major stake race.
But Ryan Farms Kennel and trainer John Fillipelli took solace in winning the Consolation Derby.
Kansas Jewel, running out of the No. 3 post, came from behind to win the Consolation Derby, the eighth race of the night. The red female won the three-eighths race in 37.90 seconds.
"I was surprised," Fillipelli said of the win. "She ran a heck of a race."
At the beginning of the race, things looked grim for Kansas Jewel and Atocha, a black female which also belonged to Ryan Farms Kennel. They collided on the first turn, and they were in seventh and eighth place.
"I really thought it was over then," Fillipelli said.
Kansas Jewel, though, regrouped and made a hard charge on the back end. She moved up to third on the final turn and sprinted past the leaders, Optimistic Babe and Rule the Night, down the stretch to win.
Atocha never recovered from the collision, going wide on the back end to finish seventh. Tomoka Penny, the betting favorite, broke wide early and finished last.