Winning Vision ($2.60) proved her Princess of Palms stakes win three weeks ago was no fluke by delivering as the 1-5 favorite when capturing the City of Phoenix Handicap by 2 ½ lengths over Always a Chance with Missdang Sally third in the field of seven fillies and mares.
Taking over lead at the head of the lane from the erratic pacesetting Camille (finished fourth), Winning Vision with Scott Stevens up for owner CJ Racing and trainer Molly Pearson, covered the 6 furlongs in 1:09.73 for her sixth lifetime victory and $ 152,774 in earnings.
Meanwhile in the Luke Kruytbosch stakes, veteran sprint-ace Absolutely Cool ($6.80) eked out the slimmest of photo-finish nose decisions over longshot Jamaican Memories with Redsolocup third another 3 ¾ lengths back in the field of ten older horses.
Ridden by Jake Barton for trainer Valorie Lund and owner Karl Krieg, Absolutely Cool covered the six furlongs in 1:08.69.
It was the eighth local victory in 26 starts for the 8-year-old Absolutely Cool who had signaled his readiness for the new season by winning opening day’s (Oct. 17) Bienvenidos stakes.
Absolutely Cool, who won the Kruytbosch stakes in 2012, now has a lifetime record of 41-10-11-10 and earnings of $345,342.