Will Stroud and Debra O’Connor’s Long Neck Paula, the lone filly in the race, wore down front-running Macho Music then held off a late bid from Terrapin Station to score a half-length victory in the $200,000 Bowman Mill, the first of three stakes on Saturday’s closing day of the Keeneland Fall Meet. 

Ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer Wesley Ward, Long Neck Paula covered 6 furlongs in 1:10.92.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Long Neck Paula is a daughter of Uncle Mo out of Grade 3 winner Take Charge Paula, by Take Charge Indy. A Keeneland sales graduate, she earned $124,000 for the victory to increase her bankroll to $273,700 with a record of 4-3-0-1.

The victory marked the second win in the Bowman Mill for Ward, who sent out Nakatomi to win the race in 2021. Nakatomi is pre-entered in the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) a week from today at Del Mar.

Long Neck Paula paid $7.50, $3.84 and $2.98. Tough Catch and jockey Tyler Gaffalione returned $4.60 and $3.30. Finishing 3¼ lengths behind in third was Terrapin Station, who paid $3.54 under Corey Lanerie.

Macho Music and Politicallycorrect completed the order of finish.

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Quotes from the $200,000 Bowman Mill

Click here for a replay of the race and the post-race interview with winning connections.

Wesley Ward (winning trainer of Long Neck Paula)

On cross-entering her in both Friday’s Myrtlewood and the Bowman Mill but scratching her from the Myrtlewood

“We just got to handicapping the race here, and we kind of felt like this would be her best fit today. Luck was with us. She’s a very, very talented filly, very quick, very agile. I really look forward to next year; I think she’s going to really develop into a high-class, quality sprinter.”

Junior Alvarado (winning jockey)

“She broke very sharp, then I used her a little bit just to get my position going forward. I saw that (jockey) Luis Saez (aboard Macho Music) was intending to get the lead. He had to rush a little more at that point, so I was very happy where I was sitting with my filly. She was very good. By the time we hit the five-sixteenths pole I knew she was ready and we started picking it up little by little. I knew I had enough horse, and she held on all the way to the wire.”