Highway Star continued her ascension up the older mare ranks when she held off the late charge of Bar Of Gold (by Medaglia d'Oro) to win the G2 Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park.
The Ruffian was the third Graded Stakes win for the four-year-old daughter of Girolamo, who captured the G3 Distaff Handicap in her previous start.
Content to track the early pacesetter Indulgent (by Bernardini), from third through the early stages of the race, Highway Star shot through an opening along the rail at the top of the stretch to take the lead. She then held off the late charge of Bar Of Gold to win by a half-length.
Racing as a homebred for Chester and Mary Broman Sr., Highway Star is out of Stolen Star, a multiple Stakes-placed daughter of Cat Thief. Stolen Star is out of the Stakes-placed mare Unbridled Star, and is a half-sister to the multiple Stakes-winners Friend Or Foe and Star Grazing.
Girolamo has sired 56 winners to date, including Stakes winner and G1-placed She’s All Ready, Stakes winners Louisville First and Libreta, and Stakes-placed runners Pagan, Backwood Bay, and Lucky Lurie.
Girolamo is standing at Jonabell Farm for $10,000, stands and nurses.
