HOT SPRINGS, AR - Feb. 18, 2012 – Briland Farm’s Absinthe Minded had Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas calling it the “best race of her career” after she shrugged off pressure on the lead to defend her title in Saturday’s $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes before an on-track crowd of 20,432 at Oaklawn. It was the fourth Bayakoa win for current leading jockey Terry Thompson, who was also aboard last year.

Absinthe Minded, best when a lonely front-runner, settled into second and pressured Dawn Lane through opening fractions of 24 and 48 1/5 for the first half mile before pouncing around the turn and drawing clear through the lane to win by a comfortable four lengths. Tiz Miz Sue, second to Absinthe Minded in the Jan. 21 Pippin Stakes, was compromised by the slow pace and was runner up once again as the slight 7-to-5 favorite.

She’s All In was third, followed by Tourmaline and Dawn Line to complete the order of finish. Winning time for the 1 1 1/16 mile race was 1:44 over a fast track.

“This is significant because this wasn’t just some waltz out there today,” said Lukas. “They hooked her every step of the way, and to pull away like that after that kind of pressure really says something about how good she is. I really believe this was the best race of her career. I’m very proud of her. We know the hill is going to get a little bit steeper, but she’s been running with the best horses in the country and a race like that, I think it shows she’s really turned a corner.”

The winner, a 5-year-old Quiet American mare, won her fourth race at Oaklawn and fifth overall from 27 career starts and has now earned $473,161. She returned $5.00, $2.80 and $2.00 as the 3-to-2 second choice.