updated 4:03 p.m. ET Oct. 31, 2004

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Ashado grabbed the lead in the stretch and got the Breeders’ Cup off to a rousing start for trainer Todd Pletcher by winning the $2 million Distaff at Lone Star Park on Saturday.

Pletcher came into the eight-race, $14 million Breeders’ Cup with an 0-for-12 record, but Ashado held off Storm Flag Flying by 1¼ lengths to move to the head of the 3-year-old filly division.

As Ashado came flying down the stretch, the usually reserved Pletcher pumped his fist, urged on jockey John Velazquez with a “Go, Johnny, go!” and exchanged high fives with family and friends in the box seats.

“That was a special one,” Pletcher, the nation’s leading trainer, said. “You’re always anxious to get that first one out of the way.”

Ashado won for the fifth time in eight starts this year, and earned $1,040,000 for owners Starlight Stable, Paul Saylor and John Martens. The filly has never finished worse than third in 14 career races, and boosted her career earnings to $2,870,440.

Ashado went off as the 2-1 favorite in the 11-horse field and returned $6 to win. Winning time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.26.

The complexion of the race changed earlier this week when the great mare Azeri, who would have been the heavy favorite, was entered instead in the $4 million Classic.

Storm Flag Flying, in her farewell race, was trying to become the first horse to win two different Breeders’ Cup races. The 4-year-old filly won the 2002 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Stellar Jayne, trained by Pletcher’s former boss D. Wayne Lukas, was third, followed by Tamweel, Island Fashion, Indy Groove, Elloluv, Nebraska Tornado, Society Selection, Hollywood Story and Bare Necessities.

The Distaff was the first Grade 1 race ever run at Lone Star Park.

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