HOT SPRINGS, AR (Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012) – For the second straight year Absinthe Minded made a trip to the spas of Hot Springs, relaxed and started her horse racing season on a winning note. The Briland Farm mare didn’t take in the waters, but she did set a measured pace and withstood a furious challenge by Tiz Miz Sue to take the $75,000 Pippin Stakes Saturday at Oaklawn.
 

Making her first start since a tired seventh-place finish in November, the daughter of Quiet American settled nicely for jockey Terry Thompson through moderate fractions, giving her the stamina to hold off Tiz Miz Sue by a neck when she attacked up the rail turning for home.

Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Absinthe Minded paid $6.40 as the favorite and covered the 1 1/16^th miles in 1:45.27 over a fast track. After Tiz Miz Sue, it was seven lengths back to unlucky third-place finisher She’s All In.

“She was nice and relaxed,” said Thompson, who leads the jockey standings after seven racing days. “I was right where I wanted to be on the track. A mile and a sixteenth may be a tad too far for her, but she really ran nice today.”

It was the fifth career win for Absinthe Minded in 27 starts. Last January she came off a similar layoff to win an optional allowance race. That catapulted her to victory in the Bayakoa Stakes a month later. Lukas wouldn’t commit to a similar schedule this time around.

“She’s had a lot of great runs here so it was good to come back and get her going and get this first one out of the way,” said Lukas. “The hill gets steeper from here in these races coming up, but we will get her back, cool her out and pick out a spot.”

Four of Absinthe Minded’s five career wins have come at Oaklawn.