Mea Domina Wins Ramser Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) _ Mea Domina took the lead with a quarter-mile to go in her first stakes race and won $100,000 Harold C. Ramser Handicap by two lengths Monday at Santa Anita. <br/><br/>Mea Domina,

Monday, October 11th 2004, 7:46 pm

By: News On 6

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) _ Mea Domina took the lead with a quarter-mile to go in her first stakes race and won $100,000 Harold C. Ramser Handicap by two lengths Monday at Santa Anita.

Mea Domina, ridden by Gary Stevens and carrying 116 pounds, covered a mile on the turf in 1:33.90 and paid $15, $8.20 and $5.60.

``No one was more surprised out there than me,'' Stevens said. ``She had me a little worried in the post parade. You can see me sweating _ she wore me out.

``When I got a little challenge going around the far turn, she picked it up on her own. When she switched into her right lead into the lane, she just got into a beautiful stride and accelerated with me.''

The win was the second in five lifetime starts for Mea Domina and was worth $60,000, raising the career earnings of the daughter of Dance Brightly to $116,600.

Penny's Fortune finished second, returning $7.80 and $6.20. Costume Designer paid $8 to show.

Sweet Win, the even-money favorite in a field of nine 3-year-old fillies, was never a factor and finished fifth.