Alwajeeha won the $125,000, Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes Wednesday at Keeneland, prevailing by a head in a three-horse photo finish.
Rallying on the outside under jockey John Velazquez, Alwajeeha caught I Lost My Choo and then held off the on-rushing Sweepstake (IRE) in the time of 1:37.37 for one mile on the turf.
Sweepstake got up for second, a nose in front of I Lost My Choo. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to fourth-place Vancy Pants in the field of 10 three-year-old fillies.
Alwajeeha improved her record to two wins in five starts and increased her earnings to $137,760 for owner Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum’s Shadwell Stable. Kiaran McLaughlin trains the winner, who finished second in the Tropical Park Oaks this year.
“She’s super filly,” said Neal McLaughlin, assistant to and brother of the trainer. “I want to congratulate Rick Nichols (vice president of Shadwell Stable) for talking to Kiaran. We decided to scratch her out of a race last week and run in the stakes today. He was right. She’s a stakes filly. We’re going to have a lot of fun with her this year.”
The daughter of Dixieland Band paid $11.80, $6.20 and $4.40 as the co-third choice. Sweepstake, ridden by Garrett Gomez, returned $6.20 and $3.80 and I Lost My Choo with Edgar Prado up paid $3 as the favorite.